Transdermal delivery formulations

ABSTRACT

A transdermal formulation for the delivery of a nitric oxide booster or nitric oxide precursor to a subject is provided. The formulation can be applied to the treatment of various diseases or conditions by enhancing systemic level of nitric oxide.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/051,266filed Oct. 31, 2022, which is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.17/565,556 filed Dec. 30, 2021, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,484,493 onNov. 1, 2022, which is a Continuation of International Application No.PCT/US2021/058611 filed on Nov. 9, 2021, which claims the benefitpriority to Provisional Application Nos. 63/111,160, filed Nov. 9, 2020;63/161,696 filed Mar. 16, 2021; and 63/235,880 filed Aug. 23, 2021, thedisclosures of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Disclosed herein are formulations for sustained transdermal delivery ofactive agents that enhance levels of nitric oxide in the vasculatureand/or limit the production of reactive oxygen species, thus providingnew methods of both preventing and treating endothelial dysfunction andits many clinical consequences.

BACKGROUND

Delivery of many therapeutic agents remains a challenge due tobioavailability issues that preclude achieving therapeutic levels eithersystemically or locally at a targeted site. Poor bioavailability arisesfrom various factors including low solubility, low uptake from the gut,and rapid elimination from the circulation due to rapid breakdown by theliver (first pass limitations). As a result, many promising therapeuticswith the appropriate activity cannot be directly delivered in aneffective manner to afflicted sites such as the lungs, arthritic joints,inner ear, sinuses etc. Meanwhile, oral or IV routes of administrationoften do not provide adequate therapeutic levels at the targeted localsite.

Nitric oxide (NO) has known systemic benefits including the capabilityof reversing inflammation, preventing and reversing endothelialdysfunction, repolarizing activated macrophages, deactivating activatedplatelets, protecting/restoring the endothelial lining of blood vessels(glycocalyx) and antimicrobial/antiviral activity. Proinflammatoryinsults result in enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS)which drives the development and continuation of endothelialdysfunction. The enhanced levels of ROS set in motion multiple eventsthat cause dysregulation of the vasculature. The ROS degrades theglycocalyx which results in loss of vascular integrity, enhanced cells(monocytes, red blood cells, neutrophils and platelets) access to andadhesion to the endothelial surface, loss of sheer stress mediated NOproduction and loss of superoxide dismutase which limits ROS. EnhancedROS causes endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) to stop productionof NO in endothelium and actually start generating more ROS. EnhancingNO levels either with direct supplementation or enhanced production candramatically reverse this cycle and restore vascular homeostasis.However, systemic delivery of NO is a challenge due to the shortlifetime of the NO molecule and limited access to the circulation. Aneed exists for delivery system that provides efficient and effectiveenhancement of NO levels in the vasculature and/or the intrinsicregulation of NO levels and bioactivity.

SUMMARY

The delivery system and methods disclosed herein address such a need.The strategy presented in this patent document both enhances NOlevels/production directly and reduces ROS production which also resultsin restoration of NO levels. NO is essential for normal vascular healthand function. The presented strategy also restores the integrity of theglycocalyx which allows for the resumption of flow mediated regulationof NO activity and the preservation of vascular integrity. Through thesemechanisms, the presented formulations/strategy can be used to assist inpreventing or delaying the development of endothelial dysfunction, limitor reverse endothelial dysfunction, and prevent the development of themany clinical consequences of untreated endothelial dysfunction.

The agent delivered via the formulation disclosed herein is able toenhance systemic nitric oxide levels in the endothelium, either byboosting the NO production or by releasing NO into the circulation. Byupregulating the systemic NO level or delivering an effective amount ofNO to the circulation, the formulation and kit disclosed herein can beapplied to the treatment of various conditions or diseases. Examplesinclude transdermal treatment of acute and chronic inflammatoryconditions, transdermal prevention and reversal of endothelialdysfunction, risk reduction of cytokine storm or cytokine stormphenomena (release of an abnormal level or a higher than normal level ofpro-inflammatory cytokines) in patients with conditions that createunderlying endothelial dysfunction, for example COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2infection, topical treatment of dermatological conditions, anti-agingskin treatments, ophthalmological conditions, aerosol based treatmentsof pulmonary conditions, topical treatments of infections, treatment ofred blood cells to improve storage properties and reverse storagelesions thus improving safety and efficacy of stored red blood cells,loading red blood cells with therapeutic agents prior to transfusion,stabilizing red blood cells via intravenous (IV) delivery of RBCstabilizing agents, IV interventions to treat cytokine storm phenomenaand related acute inflammatory crises, aerosol treatment and preventionof acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other conditions thatdestroy lung tissue through excessive oxidative damage and the ensuinginflammation, and loading medical sponges with therapeutic agents foruse, for example in the ear, nose, mouth, rectum, and vagina. Sustainedtransdermal systemic delivery can also be achieved to harness thetherapeutic potential of NO for various chronic diseases and conditions.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a transdermal formulationfor enhancing systemic nitric oxide (NO), comprising:

-   -   (a) an effective amount of an NO booster and/or an NO precursor,        wherein the NO booster increases systemic production of NO, and        wherein the NO precursor comprises an NO releasing agent or        derives or produces a NO releasing agent;    -   (b) a solvent in an amount sufficient to dissolve the effective        amount of the NO booster or the NO precursor; and optionally    -   (c) a fatty acid,        wherein upon administration the effective amount of the NO        booster and/or the NO released from the releasing agent is        delivered transdermally.

NO boosters useful in the formulation of the present invention includepolyphenols, flavonoids, stilbenoid, secosteroid and otherphytochemicals and natural products which promote formation of NO. Insome embodiments, the NO booster comprises at least one of an agentselected from the group consisting of polyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid,secosteroid, and natural products of the like. In some embodiments, theNO booster includes at least one of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin,bisdemethoxycurcumin, quercetin, berberine, resveratrol and vitamin D.In some embodiments, the NO booster includes quercetin and at least onecurcuminoid (e.g. curcumin).

NO precursors useful in the formulation comprises aS-nitrosothiol-containing molecule, or a thiol-containing molecule and anitrite source. In some embodiments, the formulation includes aS-nitrosothiol-containing molecule as a NO precursor. In someembodiments, the formulation includes, as the NO precursor, athiol-containing molecule, a nitrite source (e.g. nitrite loadednanoparticles), and optionally an acid source physically separate fromthe nitrite source, wherein contact of the acid source with the nitritesource nitrosates a thiol group of the thiol-containing molecule. Insome embodiments, the nitrite source and the acid source are separatelyenclosed in permeable or frangible pouches.

In some embodiments, the polyol is polyethylene glycol having amolecular weight ranging from 100 to about 1000. In some embodiments,the fatty acid is myristic acid.

In some embodiments, the formulation provides continued release of theNO booster or the NO releasing agent from the NO precursor (e.g.S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule) over a period of about about 8,about 10, about 15, about 20, about 24 or about 48 hours.

In some embodiments, the formulation further includes a thickener whichkeeps the transdermal formulation in a semi-solid or solid form. In someembodiments, the thickener is petroleum jelly, cocoa butter orpolyalkylene glycol of MW of more than 2 k Da.

Another aspect of this invention provides a kit or transdermal deliverysystem, incorporating the transdermal formulation disclosed herein. Insome embodiments, the transdermal delivery system is a kit or nebulizer.

A further aspect provides a method of increasing systemic NO level in asubject. The method includes administering to the subject thetransdermal formulation disclosed herein.

A further aspect provides a method of treating a disease or condition byadministering to the subject the transdermal formulation disclosedherein. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is associated withendothelial dysfunction.

A further aspect provides a method of incorporating an agent into a cellby contacting the cell with the formulation disclosed herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the comparison of vascular leakage for albumin 69 kDaaccumulation between LPS treated rat subsequently treated with onlyvehicle and LPS treated rat subsequently treated with formulation V3.3as a function of time.

FIG. 2 shows the comparison of vascular leakage for dextran 500 kDaaccumulation between LPS treated rat subsequently treated with onlyvehicle and LPS treated rat subsequently treated with formulation V3.3as a function of time.

FIG. 3 shows how topical V4.3 prevents the steep drop in functionalcapillary density that occurs with LPS induced endotoxemia.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of this disclosure provide transdermal formulations andmethods of enhancing systemic NO levels. Because NO has known systemicbenefits including the capability of reversing inflammation, preventingand reversing endothelial dysfunction, repolarizing activatedmacrophages, deactivating activated platelets, protecting theendothelial lining of blood vessels and antimicrobial/antiviralactivity, the formulation of this disclosure can be applied to thetreatment of various diseases and conditions. The treatment is based ontransdermal delivery of agents that can either improve nitric oxideproduction in the endothelium or directly release NO from appropriateS-nitrosothiol containing molecules.

The transdermal formulation described herein also has the advantage ofreduced side effects in comparison with conventional oral administrationof active agents. Oral curcumin for instance can result in GI upset(hypermotility, increased acid production in stomach) especially whenchronically used. Delivery of the agent over skin or mucosa bypasses theGI tract and achieves desirable therapeutic effect while minimizing sideeffects.

While the following text may reference or exemplify specific embodimentsof a formulation, a kit or a method relating to the treatment orprevention of a disease, it is not intended to limit the scope of theformulation, kit or method to such particular reference or examples.Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, in viewof practical and economic considerations, such as the specific form ofthe formulation and the amount or frequency of administration of theformulation for treating or preventing a disease or condition.

The articles “a” and “an” as used herein refer to “one or more” or “atleast one,” unless otherwise indicated. That is, reference to anyelement or component of an embodiment by the indefinite article “a” or“an” does not exclude the possibility that more than one element orcomponent is present.

The term “about” as used herein refers to the referenced numericindication plus or minus 10% of that referenced numeric indication. Insome embodiments, “about” refers to the referenced numeric indicationplus or minus 5% of that referenced numeric indication.

The term “agent” or “active agent” refers to a molecule or compound thatprevents, alleviates or ameliorates symptoms of disease, prolongs thesurvival of the subject being treated, or reaches a desirable/acceptablemedical or sanitary condition. An agent in the NO booster increasessystemic production of NO in a subject. An agent in the NO precursorreleases NO or undergoes a reaction to generate another agent, whichafter being transdermally delivered into blood circulation releases NO.

The term “body cavity” includes any opening and/or surface area withinthe opening on a subject's body. Nonlimiting examples of body cavityinclude nose, nasal sinuses, mouth, ears, rectum, vagina, open wound,sore, buccal cavity and mucosal surface (e.g. gum).

The term C₁₋₃₀ alkyl includes, branched or nonbranched, alkyl groupshaving any number of carbons ranging from 1 to 30. Non-limiting examplesinclude methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl.

The term “cytokine storm” refers to dysregulated abnormal systemicrelease of pro-inflammatory cytokines leading to diseases and has alsobeen referred to as “cytokine release syndrome” or “inflammatorycascade”. Often, a cytokine storm or cascade is referred to as beingpart of a sequence because one cytokine typically leads to theproduction of multiple other cytokines that can reinforce and amplifythe immune response. Generally, these pro-inflammatory mediators havebeen divided into two subgroups: early mediators and late mediators.Early mediators, such as e.g., tumor-necrosis factor, interleukin-1,interleukin-6, are not sufficient therapeutic targets forre-establishing homeostatic balance because they are resolved within thetime frame of a patient's travel to a clinic to receive medicalattention. In contrast, the so-called “late mediators” have beentargeted because it is during this later “inflammatory cascade” that thepatient realizes that he or she has fallen ill.

The term “inflammatory disease or disorder” may refer to any disease,disorder or syndrome in which an excessive or unregulated inflammatoryresponse results in a transient inflammatory condition, damage to hosttissue, or loss of tissue function. “Inflammatory diseases” also referto pathological conditions mediated by granulocyte influx and/orneutrophil chemotaxis and transient inflammatory conditions including“brain fog” due to chemotherapy and leaky gut syndrome.

The term “long Covid” refers to side effects or symptoms attributed toCovid that become manifest well after the seeming recovery from theprimary infection. Nonlimiting examples of long Covid symptoms includeinclude brain fog, fatigue, achiness, clotting issues, myocarditis, andedema.

The term “NO booster” refers to an agent or a mixture of agents thatincrease systemic production of NO in a subject. The NO booster itselfdoes not release NO.

The term “NO precursor” refers to an agent or a mixture that directly orindirectly through a derivative releases NO. The NO precursor may be orinclude an agent containing a NO releasing moiety and is transdermallydelivered into blood circulation of a subject before releasing NO.Nonlimiting examples of such a NO releasing agent includeS-nitroso-Glutathione (GSNO), S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC),S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), and S-nitroso-human serumalbumin (SNO-HAS). Alternatively, a NO precursor may include an agentthat leads to a derivative containing a NO releasing moiety, and thederivative releases NO after being transdermally delivered into bloodcirculation. Nonlimiting examples of agents that lead to NO releasingderivatives include glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC),N-acetylpenicillamine, and cysteine, which can be nitrosated at thethiol group to produces a S-nitrosothiol-containing derivative.

The term “semisolid” refers to a flexible and deformable solid form.Free flowing liquid and rigid solid forms are excluded from semisolid.Non-limiting examples include gels, ointments, creams, emulsions,microemulsions, nanoemulsions, pastes, balms, lotions, and mousses.

The term “subject” encompasses any animal, but preferably a mammal,e.g., a human, a non-human primate, a dog, a cat, a horse, a cow, or arodent. More preferably, the subject is a human.

The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” means salts of compounds ofthe present invention which are pharmaceutically acceptable and possessthe desired pharmacological activity. Non-limiting examples of suchsalts include acid addition salts formed with inorganic acids such ashydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, andphosphoric acid; or with organic acids such as 1,2-ethanedisulfonicacid, 2-hydroxyethanesulfonic acid, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid,3-phenylpropionic acid, 4,4′-methylenebis(3-hydroxy-2-ene-1-carboxylicacid), 4-methylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene-1-carboxylic acid, acetic acid,aliphatic mono- and dicarboxylic acids, aliphatic sulfuric acids,aromatic sulfuric acids, benzenesulfonic acid, benzoic acid,camphorsulfonic acid, carbonic acid, cinnamic acid, citric acid,cyclopentanepropionic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, fumaric acid,glucoheptonic acid, gluconic acid, glutamic acid, glycolic acid,heptanoic acid, hexanoic acid, hydroxynaphthoic acid, lactic acid,laurylsulfuric acid, maleic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, mandelicacid, methanesulfonic acid, muconic acid, o-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)benzoicacid, oxalic acid, p-chlorobenzenesulfonic acid, phenyl-substitutedalkanoic acids, propionic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, pyruvic acid,salicylic acid, stearic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid,tertiarybutylacetic acid, and trimethylacetic acid. Pharmaceuticallyacceptable salts also include base addition salts which may be formedwhen acidic protons present are capable of reacting with inorganic ororganic bases. Acceptable inorganic bases include sodium hydroxide,sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide and calciumhydroxide. Non-limiting examples of acceptable organic bases includeethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, tromethamine, andN-methylglucamine. It should be recognized that the particular anion orcation forming a part of any salt of this invention is not critical, solong as the salt, as a whole, is pharmacologically acceptable.Additional examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts and theirmethods of preparation and use are presented in Handbook ofPharmaceutical Salts: Properties, and Use (P. H. Stahl & C. G. Wermutheds., Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2002).

The term “therapeutically effective amount” or “effective amount” refersto an amount of an active agent effective to prevent, alleviate orameliorate symptoms of disease, prolong the survival of the subjectbeing treated, or reach a desirable/acceptable medical or sanitarycondition. Determination of a therapeutically effective amount oreffective amount is well within the capability of those skilled in theart, especially in light of the detailed disclosure provided herein.

The term “treating” or “treatment” of any disease or condition refers,in some embodiments, to ameliorating the disease or disorder (i.e.,arresting or reducing the development of the disease or at least one ofthe clinical symptoms thereof). In some embodiments “treating” or“treatment” refers to ameliorating at least one physical parameter,which may not be discernible by the subject. In some embodiments,“treating” or “treatment” refers to modulating the disease or disorder,either physically, (e.g., stabilization of a discernible symptom),physiologically, (e.g., stabilization of a physical parameter), or both.In some embodiments, “treating” or “treatment” refers to delaying theonset of the disease or disorder, or even preventing the same. Forinstance, a treatment can be a “prophylactic treatment” is to beconstrued as any mode of treatment that is used to prevent progressionof the disease or is used for precautionary purpose for persons at riskof developing the condition.

The term “transdermal” or “transdermally” refers to delivery,administration or application of a formulation containing an activeagent by means of direct contact with skin or mucosa and then transportof the agent through the skin or mucosa into blood circulation of asubject. Such delivery, transport, administration or application is alsoknown to include dermal, percutaneous, transmucosal and buccal path. Asused herein, “dermal” includes skin and mucosa, which includes oral,buccal, nasal, rectal and vaginal mucosa. In some embodiments, the termalso refers to delivery and transport of an agent through a cell wall(e.g. red blood cell wall) into the cell.

The term “transdermal formulation” refers to a composition orformulation of an agent that upon application to the skin or mucosadelivers the agent or a derivative (e.g. a S-nitrosothiol-containingmolecule derived from a thiol-containing molecule) of the agent acrossthe skin or mucosa (or any other surface noted above). A transdermalformulation may be in the form of a solution, suspension, gel, ointment,cream, emulsion, microemulsion, nanoemulsion, paste, balm, magma,lotion, mousse, wax, or liposome. A kit or transdermal delivery systemincorporating the transdermal formulation may be in the form of, forexample, a patch, a swab, a nebulizer, a sprayer, a sponge or a pouch.

Transdermal Formulation

An aspect of this disclosure provides a transdermal formulation, whichdelivers a therapeutically effective amount of an agent transdermally.The formulation generally includes

-   -   (a) an effective amount of an active agent such as an sirtuin-1        (SIRT1) activating agent, an NO booster and/or an NO precursor,        wherein the NO booster increases systemic production of NO, and        wherein the NO precursor comprises an NO releasing agent or        derives a NO releasing agent,    -   (b) a solvent in an amount sufficient to dissolve the effective        amount of the NO booster or the NO precursor; and optionally    -   (c) a fatty acid,        wherein upon administration, the effective amount of active        agent (e.g. the sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) activating agent), the NO        booster and/or the NO releasing agent) is delivered        transdermally. In some embodiments, the active agent is        delivered into blood vessels for the active agent to enter        systemic circulation from arteries or veins. In some        embodiments, the active agent is delivered into deep layers of        the skin (e.g. the upper epidermal layers or the lower epidermal        layers below the stratum corneum).

The level of NO in a subject can be measured using known technology asdisclosed in for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,044,182 and 8,425,428. Insome embodiments, an effective amount is an amount sufficient to have ameasurable effect on a disease including for example hypertension,inflammation, osteoarthritis, endothelial dysfunction, dermatologicalcondition, ophthalmological condition, bacterial infection, viralinfection, ischemia reperfusion injury, hypoxia reoxygenation injury,cytokine storm phenomena, cerebral malaria, Chagas disease, andhemoglobinopathies such as Sickle Cell Disease and HbE/betaThalassemia,type 2 diabetes, and Lupus. In some embodiments, an effective amount isan amount sufficient to have a measurable positive effect on blood flowand/or vasodilation, and/or a measurable negative effect on bloodpressure. In some embodiments, the effect on blood flow and/orvasodilation is observed local to the site of topical application. Insome embodiments, an effective amount is an amount sufficient to have ameasurable effect on an inflammatory disease, e.g., an inflammatorydermatosis, inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation of the generalvasculature including the blood brain barrier due to chemotherapy asevidenced by an appropriate clinical parameter, e.g., an improvement inPhysician's Global Assessment after treatment with the formulation. Insome embodiments, an effective amount is an amount sufficient to obtaina systemic or local level of nitric oxide to have a desired effect,e.g., have a measurable positive effect on blood flow and/orvasodilation, have a measurable negative effect on blood pressure,and/or have a measurable effect on an inflammatory dermatosis disease,e.g., an inflammatory dermatosis as evidenced by an appropriate clinicalparameter.

Non-limiting examples of the SIRT1 activating agent the active agentinclude polyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid, secosteroid, and otherphytochemicals or natural products which promote formation of NO.

After the NO booster or NO precursor is delivered transdermally, itleads to generation of NO in the body of a subject. The NO booster or NOprecursor is in an amount effective to increase NO systemically orlocally to a level high enough to achieve the objective of treating adisease or condition. In some embodiments, the NO booster comprisespolyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid, secosteroid, or natural products thatpromote NO production. In some embodiments, the NO precursor comprises aS-nitrosothiol-containing molecule, or a thiol-containing molecule and anitrite source. In some embodiments, the NO booster contains one or moreof curcuminoids, flavonoids, berberine, resveratrol, vitamin D sourceand their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives.Curcuminoids are linear diarylheptanoids and include for examplecurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Flavonoids have a3-hydroxyflavone backbone and include for example 3-hydroxyflavone,azaleatin, fisetin, galangin, gossypetin, kaempferide, kaempferol,isorhamnetin, morin, myricetin, natsudaidain, pachypodol, quercetin,rhamnazin, and rhamnetin. Non-limiting examples of vitamin D sourceincludes vitamin D2 and vitamin D3, and any precursors to vitamin D.Nonlimiting examples of polyphenols including plant extracts, brazilin,and theaflavins (e.g. theaflavin (TF-1), theaflavin-3-gallate (TF-2a),theaflavin-3′-gallate (TF-2b), and theaflavin-3, 3′-digallate (TF-3)).

In some embodiments, the NO booster consists essentially of curcumin,demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, quercetin, berberine,resveratrol, vitamin D source and any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the formulation contains both a NO booster and a NOprecursor. For instance, the combination of curcumin and an NO releasingagent (e.g. S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule or thiol-containingagent) in the polyol/fatty acid system can be a potent formulation fortreating localized inflammation and infections and at the same timeprovide the systemic benefits of curcumin to control systemicinflammation.

Additional examples of curcuminoids include methylcurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, sodium curcuminate, dibenzoylmethane,acetylcurcumin, feruloyl methane, tetrahydrocurcumin,1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (curcumin1),1,7-bis(piperonyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (piperonyl curcumin)1,7-bis(2-hydroxy naphthyl)-1,6-heptadiene-2,5-dione (2-hydroxylnaphthyl curcumin) and 1,1-bis(phenyl)-1,3,8,10undecatetraene-5,7-dione. In some embodiments the NO booster iscurcumin, or a synthetic curcumin that is 80%, 85%, 90% or 98% purediferuloylmethane.

In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation includes, as an activeingredient for treating a disease or condition, one or more curcuminoidsand optionally one or more of polyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid,secosteroid, or natural products that promote NO production. In someembodiments, the transdermal formulation includes one or both ofcurcumin and quercetin, and optionally one or more of one or more ofpolyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid, and secosteroid.

The NO precursor is either S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule or amixture containing a thiol-containing molecule and a nitrite source.When in contact with an acid source, the nitrite source gives rise tonitrous acid, which can then nitrosate the reactive thiol of thethiol-containing molecule. The S-nitrosothiol-containing moleculereleases NO to the subject in need thereof.

Various thiol-containing molecules can be used as a precursor. Examplesinclude glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), N-acetylpenicillamine,cysteine, and their derivatives. The amino group of either cysteine orNAC can be acetylated with acetyl or other carbonyl of different carbonlength (e.g. COC₂₋₃₀ alkyl). By adjusting the length of the carbonchain, the solubility and lipophilicity of the molecule can be modified.Similarly, the carboxylic group of cysteine can be converted into anester (e.g., ethyl ester, or other substituted or unsubstituted C₃₋₃₀alkyl ester) or an amide having NR₂ moiety (wherein each R isindependently H or other substituted or unsubstituted C₃₋₃₀ alkyl).Variation of the carbon chain allows for modulation of the properties ofthe molecule.

Various inorganic compounds can serve as a nitrite source. Nonlimitingexamples of the nitrite source include an alkali metal nitrite, analkaline earth metal nitrite, a transition metal nitrite and an ammoniumnitrite. In some embodiments, the nitrite source is potassium nitrite,sodium nitrite, rubidium nitrite, strontium nitrite, barium nitrite,calcium nitrite, copper nitrite, zinc nitrite, or mixtures thereof. Thenitrite can also comprise a natural source such as extracts of lettuceand spinach. In some embodiments, the nitrite source is saturated in thepolyol solvent. The nitrite source can also be comprised of nitriteloaded nanoparticles.

Nitrite loaded nanoparticles can be prepared by techniques known in theart including for example procedures report in U.S. Pat. No. 8,333,997,the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Tolimit NO release from the nanoparticles during production, the mediumshould maintain a pH above 7.5 or so throughout the preparation. Thenitrite loaded nanoparticles can then be mixed with solvent system ofpolyol and fatty acid (e.g. PEG400 and myristic acid) and remain stableuntil exposed to an aqueous environment. In the presence of thiolcontaining molecules, the nitrite loaded nanoparticles will allow forthe formation of S-nitrosothiols when the mixture is exposed to an acidsource or slightly acid aqueous environment on the skin.

The use of the nitrite loaded nanoparticles allows for the use of highconcentrations of nitrite under hydrophobic conditions. The combinationof the nitrite loaded nanoparticles with the solvent system of polyoland fatty acid (e.g. PEG400 and myristic acid) regardless of the otherincluded deliverables, allows for a stable mixture that will bothrelease NO and S-nitrosate thiols when exposed to an aqueousenvironment. There is no release of nitrite or production of NO in theviscous solvent until water or an acid source is introduced.

The acid source may be separately packed from the mixture containing athiol-containing molecule and a nitrite source and mixed with thenitrite prior to administration. For instance, the nitrite source andthe acid source can be separately enclosed in permeable or frangiblepouches. The amount and concentration of the acid can be adjusteddepending on the amounts of other agents and the nature of the acid.Nonlimiting examples of the acid include acetic acid, oxalic acid, andcitric acid.

Nonlimiting examples of S-nitrosothiol-containing molecules includeS-nitroso-Glutathione (GSNO), S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC),S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), and S-nitroso-human serumalbumin (SNO-HAS). Similar to a thiol-containing molecule, theseS-nitrosothiol-containing molecules can be modified by varying thecarbon chain in the respective ester, amide, or N-acyl moiety to finetune their properties.

A solvent such as a polyol suitable for the delivery system allows forhigh concentrations of poorly soluble agents. In addition, it should bebiocompatible with a profile as safe for biomedical applications.Moreover, it will ideally facilitate skin and mucosal permeation toallow for transdermal delivery. Nonlimiting examples of polyols includepolyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, ethylene glycol, propyleneglycol, and glycerol. In some embodiments, the polyol is polyethyleneglycol (PEG). In some embodiments, the PEG has a molecular weightranging from about 100 to about 2000, from about 100 to about 1000, fromabout 100 to about 800, from about 100 to about 600, from about 200 toabout 600, or from about 200 to about 400 daltons. In some embodiments,the formulation is substantially free from water.

In some embodiments, the solvent of the formulation consists essentiallyof the polyol. In some embodiments, the formulation may include one ormore additional solvents. Nonlimiting examples include mineral oil,petrolatum, castor oil, essential oils such as eugenol, menthol,cineole, or rose oil, n-methyl pyrrolidone, vegetable oils, oleylalcohol, dipropylene glycol, polyoxyethylene derivative of sorbitanesters, saturated polyglycolyzed C₈₋₁₀ glycerides, polyoxyethylatedfatty acid glycerides, oleic acid, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), fattyalcohol, isopropyl myristate (IPM), triacetin, ethyl oleate, isostearicacid, medium chain fatty acid and other fatty acids, and mixturesthereof. In addition to dissolving the agent, these solvents can alsoserve as plasticizer so that the formulation can be flexible,stretchable, moldable and/or otherwise skin friendly.

In some embodiments, the polyol solvent is low molecular weightpolyethylene glycol (PEG) with a molecular weight ranging from about 50to about 2000, from about 50 to about 1000, from about 100 to about1000, from about 100 to about 800, from about 100 to about 700, fromabout 100 to about 600, from about 200 to about 800, from about 200 toabout 600, or from about 200 to about 400 daltons. Nonlimiting examplesof the molecular weight of the polyol solvent include about 100, includeabout 200, include about 300, include about 400, include about 500,include about 600, include about 800, and include about 1000. Shortchain PEG molecules such as PEG200 and PEG400 that are liquid at ambienttemperatures are particularly useful.

The fatty acid serves as a permeation enhancer. Nonlimiting examples offatty acids include myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, sapienic acid,oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, linoelaidicacid, α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, erucicacid, docosahexaenoic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid,myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenicacid, lignoceric acid, cerotic acid, myristic acid and any combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the fatty acid is myristic acid. Mid-sizedfatty acids such myristic acid and/or other fatty acids of comparablesize/molecular weight are particularly useful. In some embodiments, theformulation does not contain fatty acid or contains only a trace or aninsignificant amount of fatty acid.

In some embodiments, the permeation enhancer consists essentially of afatty acid or ester thereof. In some embodiments, the formulation maycontain one or more additional permeation enhancers. Non-limitingexamples include surfactants, alcohols, fatty alcohols and glycol,esters, fatty acid esters and fatty alcohol esters, esters of long chainfatty acids with methyl, ethyl, isopropyl alcohols, esters of fattyalcohols with acetic acid, lactic acid as well as oleic acid,diethanolamine, essential oils, terpene and terpenoids, amides, urea,polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters,sulfoxide, ether alcohol, pyrrolidones, transcarbam, capsaicinderivatives, dimethylamino acid esters, peptides, iminosulfuranes,dicarboxylic acid esters, nanocarriers, triglycerides, hydrocarbons,phospholipids either alone or in combinations thereof.

By adjusting the amount and ratio of the polyol, the fatty acid, and theNO booster or the NO precursor, the solubility of the fatty acid and theagent in the NO booster or the NO precursor as well as the physicalstate (e.g. liquid or gell or semisolid) of the formulation and therelease profile of the active agent can be controlled. The ratio betweenthe polyol and the fatty acid impacts the form of the solution andgenerally ranges from about 5:1 to about 500:1, from about 5:1 to about100:1, from about 1:1 to about 100:1, from about 20:1 to about 100:1,from about 30:1 to about 100:1, from about 20:1 to about 80:1, fromabout 20:1 to about 60:1, from about 50:1 to about 10:1, or from about30:1 to about 50:1 from about 40:1 to about 10:1, from about 40:1 toabout 10:1, from about 20:1 to about 60:1, from about 20:1 to about15:1, from about 18:1 to about 12:1 by weight. In some embodiments, theconcentration of the fatty acid in the polyol ranges from about 0.01 Mto about 1 M, from about 0.01 M to about 0.8 M, from about 0.01 M toabout 0.6 M, from about 0.01 M to about 0.4 M, from about 0.01 M toabout 0.2 M, from about 0.01 M to about 0.15 M, from about 0.01 M toabout 0.1 M, from about 0.02 M to about 0.2 M, from about 0.02 M toabout 0.1 M, from about 0.04 M to about 0.08 M, or from about 0.06 M toabout 0.1 M. In further exemplary embodiments, the the concentration ofthe fatty acid in the polyol is about 0.01 M, about 0.02 M, about 0.03M, about 0.04 M, about 0.06 M, about 0.08 M, about 0.1 M or about 0.12M. In some embodiments, the fatty acid is saturated in the polyol. Insome embodiments, the polyol is PEG. In some embodiments, the fatty acidis myristic acid.

The scope and amount of polyol and fatty acid are as described above andcan be modified by one of ordinary skill in the art in view of thepractical needs without undue experiments. In some embodiments, thefatty acid is selected from myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, sapienicacid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid,linoelaidic acid, α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoicacid, erucic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid,lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid,behenic acid, lignoceric acid, cerotic acid, and any combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the polyol is selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, ethyleneglycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, and combinations thereof. In someembodiments, the polyol is polyethylene glycol having a molecular weightranging from 200 to about 600. In some embodiments, the polyol and thefatty acid are in a ratio ranging from about 5:1 to about 100:1 byweight.

The fatty acid may range from about from about 0.1% to about 30%, fromabout 0.5% to about 20%, from about 1% to about 15%, from about 1% toabout 10%, from about 1% to about 5%, from about 2% to about 8%, or fromabout 4% to about 8% of the total weight of the NO booster or NOprecursor, the polyol and the fatty acid (if present) or the totalweight of the formulation. Nonlimiting examples of the amount of thefatty acid include about 1%, about 3%, about 5%, about 7%, about 8%, orabout 10% by weight.

Water may cause aggregation and microparticle formation. In someembodiments, the transdermal formulation is anhydrous or substantiallyfree from water. Minimizing or eliminating water from the formulationcan help with maintaining uniform distribution of the fatty acid and/orthe active ingredient (e.g. NO booster or NO precursor) in the polyol(e.g. PEG). In some embodiments, water in the transdermal formulation isless than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, less than 0.5%, less than0.1%, or less than 0.01% by weight.

In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation includes at least onewater repelling agent, also referred to as a water repellant. Examplesof water repelling agents include silicones, such as cyclomethicone,dimethicone, simethicone, C₂₆₋₂₈ alkyl dimethicone, C₂₆₋₂₈ alkylmethicone, polyphenylsisquioxane, trimethylsiloxysilicate andcrosspolymers of cyclopentasiloxane anddimethicone/vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate, and blends thereof. The waterrepelling agent may be particularly useful in embodiments where thetopical vehicle is used with a water-reactive agent, such as a nitricoxide-releasing agent whereby the nitric oxide is released in thepresence of water (e.g., a diazeniumdialate or sodium nitrite). In othercases, such as when the active agent is not water sensitive, a waterrepelling agent may or may not be included.

Depending on the therapeutic goal of the formulation, the NO booster orNO precursor or mixtures thereof ranges from about 0.05% to about 80%,from about 0.05% to about 50%, from about 0.05% to about 35%, from about0.05% to about 30%, from about 0.05% to about 20%, from about 0.05% toabout 10%, from about 0.1% to about 20%, from about 0.1% to about 10%,from about 0.1% to about 5%, from about 0.5% to about 20%, from about0.5% to about 10%, from about 0.5% to about 5%, from about 1% to about20%, from about 1% to about 10%, or from about 1% to about 5% of thetotal weight of the NO booster or NO precursor, the polyol and the fattyacid (if present) or the total weight of the formulation. Nonlimitingexamples of the amount of the NO booster or NO precursor or mixturesthereof in the formulation include about 1%, about 3%, about 5%, about7%, about 8%, about 10%, about 12%, and about 15% by weight in theformulation. In some embodiments, the amount of the the NO booster or NOprecursor or mixtures thereof in the formulation or in a dosage unit ofthe formulation ranges from about 0.001 mg to about 20 g, about 0.002 mgto about 20 g, about 0.004 mg to about 20 g, about 0.006 mg to about 20g, about 0.008 mg to about 20 g, about 0.01 mg to about 20 g, from about0.05 mg to about 20 g, from about 0.1 mg to about 20 g, from about 0.1mg to about 5 g, from about 0.1 mg to about 2 g, from about 0.1 mg toabout 1 g, from about 1 mg to about 5 g, from about 1 mg to about 1 g,from about 10 mg to about 100 mg, from about 5 mg to about 50 mg, orfrom about 10 mg to about 30 mg in a dosage unit of the formulation. Adosage unit can be a physically distinct package form (e.g. a capsule, apatch, a vial). A dosage unit can also be a predetermined portion of theformulation for each individual administration. For instance, a suitableamount as a dosage unit of the formulation can be taken out of acontainer for direct topical application or for loading onto a patch orany suitable carrier before being applied topically. The amount or sizeof the dosage unit can be readily adjusted depending on the intended useand the area of application. Nonlimiting examples of the amount of theNO booster or NO precursor in a dosage unit include about 0.001 mg,about 0.002 mg, about 0.004 mg, about 0.006 mg, about 0.008 mg, about0.01 mg, about 0.02 mg, about 0.04 mg, about 0.06 mg, about 0.08 mg,about 0.1 mg, about 0.2 mg, about 0.4 mg, about 0.06 mg, about 0.08 mg,about 1 mg, about 2 mg, about 5 mg, about 10 mg, about 20 mg, about 30mg, about 40 mg, about 50 mg, about 60 mg, about 80 mg, about 100 mg,about 200 mg, about 300 mg, about 400 mg, about 500 mg, about 600 mg,about 800 mg, about 1 g, about 2 g, about 5 g, about 10 g, about 15 g,about 20 g, about 25 g, about 30 g, about 35 g, about 40 g, about 50 g,about 60 g, about 80 g, and about 100 g. In some embodiments, the NObooster in a dosage unit ranges from about 0.01 to about 1 mg, fromabout 0.01 to about 0.5 mg, or from about 0.1 to about 0.5 mg. In someembodiments, the NO booster is curcuminoids, which is selected from one,two or three of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin.The dosage unit can be administered once, twice, three times a day or asneeded. In some embodiments, the dosage unit is administered once everyday, every two days, every three days, every four days, every five days,every six days, every seven days, or every ten days.

In some embodiments, the ratio between the NO booster or NO precursorand the polyol ranges from about 1:5 to about 1:100, from about 1:5 toabout 1:50, from about 1:5 to about 1:30, from about 1:5 to about 1:20,from about 1:8 to about 1:15, or from about 1:10 to about 1:15 byweight. In some embodiments, the polyol is PEG. In some embodiments, thefatty acid is myristic acid. In some embodiments, the formulation issubstantially free from piperine. Depending on the disease or conditionto be treated and the location of administration, the ratio and amountof the PEG, fatty acid and active agent may be selected so that theresulting formulation is a liquid, a gel or other suitable form.Additional agents may be added to control the physical state of theformulation.

In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation contains PEG, myristicacid and/or other fatty acids of comparable size/molecular weight, andan NO booster or NO precursor. In some embodiments, the transdermalformulation contains PEG, myristic acid and/or other fatty acids ofcomparable size/molecular weight, an NO booster or NO precursor and asecondary agent. In some embodiments, the transdermal formulationcontains PEG, myristic acid, and an NO booster selected from at leastone of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, quercetin,berberine, resveratrol and vitamin D. In some embodiments, thetransdermal formulation contains PEG, myristic acid, and one or more NObooster selected from at least one of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin,bisdemethoxycurcumin, quercetin, berberine, resveratrol and vitamin D,and an NO precursor or secondary agent. In some embodiments, thetransdermal formulation contains PEG having a molecular weight rangingfrom about 200 to about 500 (e.g. PEG 200, PEG300, PEG 400, or PEG 500).The ratio between the PEG and the myristic acid (and/or other fattyacids of comparable size/molecular weight) ranges from about 5:1 toabout 100:1 (e.g. 6:1, 8:1, 10:1, 12:1, 15:1, 18:1, 20:1, 25:1, 30:1,40:1, 50:1, 60:1, or 80:1) by weight. The ratio between the PEG and theNO booster ranges from about 5:1 to about 100:1 by weight (e.g. 6:1,8:1, 10:1, 12:1, 15:1, 18:1, 20:1, 25:1, 30:1, 40:1, 50:1, 60:1, or80:1). In some embodiments, the formulation contains curcumin. In someembodiments, the formulation contains curcumin, demethoxycurcumin,bisdemethoxycurcumin, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments,the formulation contains vitamin D. In some embodiments, theconcentration of an individual active ingredient in the formulationranges from about 0.01 M to about 1 M, from about 0.05 M to about 0.5 M,from about 0.05 M to about 0.3 M, or from about 0.1 M to about 0.2 M.Nonlimiting examples of the concentration of an active ingredient (e.g.curcumin) in the polyol (e.g. PEG) include about 0.06 M, about 0.08 M,about 0.1 M, about 0.12 M, about 0.14 M, about 0.16 M, about 0.18 M,about 0.20 M, about 0.25 M, about 0.30 M, about 0.40 M, about 0.60 M,and about 0.80 M.

The transdermal formula has an extended shelf life with minimum amountof decomposition of the active ingredient(s). In some embodiments, theactive ingredient(s) of the formulation remain stable by more than 95%or more than 99% for a period of a least 1 month, at least 3 months, atleast 6 months, or at least 12 months. In some embodiments, thetransdermal formulation includes one or more curcuminoids, myristic acidand PEG. The one or more curcuminoid ranges from about 2% to about 10%,from about 3% to about 8% or from about 4% to about 6% in theformulation by weight. Myristic acid ranges from about 1% to about 10%,from about 1% to about 8%, from about 2% to about 8% or from about 4% toabout 6% in the formulation by weight. PEG ranges from about 60% toabout 95%, from about 70% to about 90%, from about 80% to about 90% orfrom about 95% to about 90% in the formulation by weight. In someembodiments, the PEG is PEG400.

In some embodiments, the formulation further includes a gelling agent orthickener which keeps it in a semi-solid form or solid form. Nonlimitingexamples of gelling agents or thickeners include carbomers, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, poloxamers, polyacrylic acid,alginate, chitosan, xanthan gum, gellan gum, xyloglucan, paraffins,silicone, petroleum jelly, cocoa butter and polyalkylene glycol of highmolecular weight. Additional examples include polyethylene oxide,ammonia methacrylate, carrageenan, cellulose acetate phthalate aqueoussuch as CAPNF from Eastman, carboxy methyl cellulose Na, carboxypolymethylene, cellulose, cellulose acetate (microcrystalline),cellulose polymers, divinyl benzene styrene, ethyl cellulose, ethylenevinyl acetate, silicone, polyisobutylene, shellac (FMC BioPolymer), guargum, guar rosin, cellulose derivatives such as hydroxy ethyl cellulose,hydroxy methyl cellulose, hydroxy propyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and methyl cellulose, hypromellosephthalate (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate), methyl acrylate,microcrystalline wax, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinylacetate phthalate such as Suretic from Colorcon, PVP ethyl cellulose,polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), acrylate, PEG/PVP, trimethyl siloxysilicate,maleic acid/anhydride copolymersl, polacrilin, poloxamer, poly glacticacid/poly-1-lactic acid, terpene resin, locust bean gum, prolamine(Zein), acrylic copolymers, polyurethane dispersions, gelatin (both typeA and type B from various sources such as pig, cattle, and fish),dextrin, starch, polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol copolymers,methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymers such as BASF's Kollicoatpolymers, methacrylic acid and methacrylate based polymers such aspoly(methacrylic acid) copolymers and methylmethacrylate copolymers,including Rohm and Haas' Eudragit polymers (Eudragit (E, L, NE, RL, RS,S100)), Esters of polyvinylmethylether/maleic anhydride copolymer suchas Gantrez ES-425, Gantrez ES-225 available from ISP, and mixturesthereof. Nonlimiting examples of polyalkylene glycol of high molecularweight include PEG and polypropylene glycol (PPG). The polyalkyleneglycol may have a molecular weight of more than 1 k, more than 2 k, morethan 3 k, more than 4 k, more than 6 k, more than 8 k, more than 10 k,more than 15 k, more than 20 k, more than 25 k, or more than 30 kDaltons. Without limiting in scope the semisolid formulation can be inthe dosage form of an ointment, gel, cream, emulsion, paste, lotion orliposome.

In some embodiments, the formulation includes a combination of small andlarge polyalkylene glycols, which have a MW difference ranging from 500to 5000, from 1000 to 3000, from 1000 to 2000, or from 1500 to 2000Daltons. By adjusting the ratio between the two or more polyalkyleneglycols, viscosity and rate/extent of both skin penetration and uptakeby the circulation can be controlled. For instance, the combination mayinclude one or both of PEG and PPG each having a MW ranging from from100 to 2000, from from 200 to 2000, from from 400 to 1000, or from from500 to 800 Daltons. The combination may also include one or both of PEGand PPG each having a higher MW ranging from from 800 to 5000, from from1000 to 3000, or from from 1000 to 2000 Daltons. In further exemplaryembodiments, one of polyalkylene glycols has MW of 100, 200, 400, 600,or 800, and another of the polyalkylene glycols has MW of 1000, 1500,2000, 2500, or 3000. In some embodiments, the combination include a PEGof 400 and a PEG of 2000 Daltons. In some embodiments, the ratio betweenthe low MW polyalkylene glycol and the high MW polyalkylene glycolranges from about 10:1 to about 1:10, from about 5:1 to about 1:5, fromabout 2:1 to about 1:2 by weight. Further exemplary ratios between thelow MW polyalkylene glycol (e.g. PEG and/or PPG) and the high MWpolyalkylene glycol (e.g. PEG and/or PPG) include 10:1, 8:1, 6:1, 4:1,2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, 1:8 and 1:10.

In some embodiments, the formulation does not include additionaltherapeutic agent other than the NO booster or NO precursor. In someembodiments, the active agent in the formulation consists essentially ofthe NO booster and/or NO precursor described herein. In someembodiments, the formulation may include an additional therapeutic agentincluding for example an antioxidant, an antibiotic, antiviral and/orantifungal agent.

The formulation may include other components including, for example,solubilizers, skin immersion enhancers, surfactants, cosolvents,thickener or viscosifying agents, preservatives, isotonizing agents,isoosmotizing agents, absorption enhancers of the agent, mucoadhesivepolymers, non-mucoadhesive polymers, chelants, stabilizers,antioxidants, and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the thickener is selected from one or more ofcarbomers, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, poloxamers,polyacrylic acid, alginate, chitosan, xanthan gum, gellan gum,xyloglucan, paraffins, silicone, petroleum jelly, and cocoa butter.

Nonlimiting examples of solubilizers include, but are not limited to,diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (ethoxydiglycol, commerciallyavailable as Transcutol®) and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether oleate(Soficutol®). Commercially available under the tradename of Poly™);polyethylene castor oil derivatives such as polyoxy 35 castor oil,polyoxy 40 hydrogenated castor oil; polyethylene glycol, especially lowmolecular weight polyethylene glycols; Polyethylene glycol derivativessuch as caprylic/capric acid glycerides (commercially available asLabrasol®); alkylmethyl sulfoxides such as DMSO; pyrrolidones such as2-pyrrolidone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and DMA. Many solubilizers canalso function as absorption enhancers. A single solubilizer can beincorporated into the formulation, or a mixture of solubilizers can beincorporated into the formulation.

Nonlimiting examples of skin immersion enhancers help to facilitate thepassage of therapeutic levels of active agents to pass throughreasonably sized areas of unbroken skin. Suitable enhancers are wellknown in the art and include, for example, lower alcohols such asmethanol, ethanol and 2-propanol; alkylmethyls such as dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO), decylmethylsulfoxide (C 10 MSO) and tetradecylmethylsulfoxide.sulfoxides; urea; 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone andN-pyrrolidone such as—(hydroxyethyl) pyrrolidone N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide; C 2-C 6 alkane diols; dimethylformamide (DMF),N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) and miscellaneous solvents such astetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol; and 1-substituted azacycloheptan-2-ones,especially 1-n-dodecylazacycloheptan-2-one (laurocapram. Available fromWhitby Research Incorporated, Richmond, Va. under the tradename Azone®).

Among surfactants there may be mentioned, for example, polyethoxylatedglycerides, polysorbates, poloxamers, sodium lauryl sulphate,phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylglycerol andtheir derivatives, polyoxyethylenated hydrogenated castor oil,polyoxyethylenated fatty acids, mixtures of mono-, di-, andtriglycerides of fatty acids optionally polyoxyethylenated, and mixturesthereof.

Among preservatives there may be mentioned, for example, benzalkoniumchloride, boric acid, benzoic acid, C1-4 alkyl esters ofp-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorobutanol, benzyl alcohol, phenylethylalcohol, organometallic derivatives of mercury, polyquaternium such aspolyquaternium 1, and mixtures thereof.

Among isotonizing and isoosmotizing agents there may be mentioned, forexample, inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, dextrose, trehalose,mannitol, amino acids, and mixtures thereof.

Among mucoadhesive polymers there may be mentioned, for example,hyaluronic acid, polygalacturonic acid, polyacrylic acid, carboxymethylamylose, carboxymethyl chitin, chondroitin sulphate, methyl cellulose,gelatin, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthangum, chitosan, carbopol, polycarbophil, gellan gum, carrageenan,alginates, pectin, poloxamer, and mixtures thereof. Amongnon-mucoadhesive polymers there may be mentioned, for example, polyvinylalcohol. Among chelants there may be mentioned, for example, disodiumedetate, and disodium cromoglycate. Among antioxidants there may bementioned, for example, sodium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite,acetylcysteine, ascorbic acid, and mixtures thereof.

By adjusting the amount and ratio of the polyol, the fatty acid, and theNO booster or the NO precursor, the solubility of the fatty acid and theactive agent as well as the physical state of the formulation and therelease profile of the active agent can be controlled. In someembodiments, the polyol, the fatty acid, the active ingredient and othernecessary components are configured in a ratio such that the formulationprovides a rapid onset of action within about 5 minutes, within about 10minutes, within about 15 minutes, or within about 30 minutes.

The transdermal formulation disclosed herein can provide extended orcontinued release of the agent (e.g. NO booster or theS-nitrosothiol-containing molecule). In some embodiments, theformulation provides extended release of the agent (transdermal deliveryinto blood circulation) for a period of 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours, 15 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, about2 days, about 3 days, about 5 days, or about 7 days. By selecting thepolyol solvent and the fatty acid in a suitable ratio, the rate of therelease can also be controlled. In some embodiments, one, two or threeof the following parameters can be achieved for the formulation:

-   -   (a) less than 15%, less than 20%, less than 25%, less than 30%,        or less than 35% of the agent is delivered into blood        circulation within about 30 minutes, within about 1 hour, about        2 hours, about 3 hours, about 4 hours, or about 5 hours;    -   (b) from about 25% to about 90%, from about 30% to about 85%,        from about 35% to about 70%, from about 40% to about 70%, from        about 50% to about 60%, from about 35% to about 50%, from about        40% to about 60% or from about 35% to about 80% of the agent is        delivered into blood circulation within about 6 hours, about 8        hours, about 10 hours, about 12 hours, or about 14 hours; and    -   (c) more than 60%, more than 70%, or more than 80% of the agent        is delivered into blood circulation in about 16 hours, about 18        hours, about 20 hours, about 22 hours, about 24 hours, about 36        hours, or about 48 hours.

In some embodiments, the active agent and the carriers (e.g. polyol orfatty acid) and their amounts in the formulation are selected so that awindow of therapeutic effect is maintained for about 30 minutes, about 1hour, about 2 hours, about 4 hours, about 6 hours, about 8 hours, about10 hours, about 12 hours, about 14 hours, about 24 hours, about 2 days,about 3 days, about 5 days, or about 7 days, wherein the plasmaconcentration of the active agent varies by less than 5%, less than 10%,less than 15%, less than 20%, less than 25%, less than 30% or less than40% during such a window. In some embodiments, the window starts withinabout 10 minutes, within about 20 minutes, within about 30 minutes,within about 1 hour, or within about 2 hours after the formulation isadministered.

The formulation may include a secondary agent. Examples of secondaryagents include hypertension agents, antimicrobial agents,anti-inflammatory agents, analgesic agents, anesthetic agents,antihistamine agents, antiseptic agents, immunosuppressants,antihemorrhagic agents, vasodilators, wound healing agents, anti-biofilmagents and mixtures thereof. Alternatively, the secondary agents can bein a separate formulation and/or is separately administered from thetransdermal formulation described herein.

Examples of anti-inflammatory agents include nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs); propionic acid derivatives such asibuprofen and naproxen; acetic acid derivatives such as indomethacin;enolic acid derivatives such as meloxicam, acetaminophen; methylsalicylate; monoglycol salicylate; aspirin; mefenamic acid; flufenamicacid; indomethacin; diclofenac; alclofenac; diclofenac sodium;ibuprofen; ketoprofen; naproxen; pranoprofen; fenoprofen; sulindac;fenclofenac; clidanac; flurbiprofen; fentiazac; bufexamac; piroxicam;phenylbutazone; oxyphenbutazone; clofezone; pentazocine; mepirizole;tiaramide hydrochloride; steroids such as clobetasol propionate,bethamethasone dipropionate, halbetasol proprionate, diflorasonediacetate, fluocinonide, halcinonide, amcinonide, desoximetasone,triamcinolone acetonide, mometasone furoate, fluticasone proprionate,betamethasone diproprionate, triamcinolone acetonide, fluticasonepropionate, desonide, fluocinolone acetonide, hydrocortisone vlaerate,prednicarbate, triamcinolone acetonide, fluocinolone acetonide,hydrocortisone and others known in the art, predonisolone,dexamethasone, fluocinolone acetonide, hydrocortisone acetate,predonisolone acetate, methylpredonisolone, dexamethasone acetate,betamethasone, betamethasone valerate, flumetasone, fluorometholone,beclomethasone diproprionate, fluocinonide, topical corticosteroids, andmay be one of the lower potency corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone,hydrocortisone-21-monoesters (e.g., hydrocortisone-21-acetate,hydrocortisone-21-butyrate, hydrocortisone-21-propionate,hydrocortisone-21-valerate, etc.), hydrocortisone-17,21-diesters (e.g.,hydrocortisone-17,21-diacetate, hydrocortisone-17-acetate-21-butyrate,hydrocortisone-17,21-dibutyrate, etc.), alclometasone, dexamethasone,flumethasone, prednisolone, or methylprednisolone, or may be a higherpotency corticosteroid such as clobetasol propionate, betamethasonebenzoate, betamethasone dipropionate, diflorasone diacetate,fluocinonide, mometasone furoate, triamcinolone acetonide.

In some embodiments, the formulation contains an antiviral agent such asacyclovir, trifluridine, idoxuridine, penciclovir, famciclovir,cidofovir, gancyclovir, valacyclovir, podofilox, podophyllotoxin,ribavirin, abacavir, delavirdine, didanosine, efavirenz, lamivudine,nevirapine, stavudine, zalcitabine, zidovudine, amprenavir, indinavir,nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, amantadine, interferon, oseltamivir,ribavirin, rimantadine, zanamivir, and combinations thereof. Anti-viraltreatment may be used to treat both localized and systemic viralinfections, such as Covid-19, cold sores or genital herpes.

Examples of antimicrobial agents include penicillins and related drugs,carbapenems, cephalosporins and related drugs, erythromycin,aminoglycosides, bacitracin, gramicidin, mupirocin, chloramphenicol,thiamphenicol, fusidate sodium, lincomycin, clindamycin, macrolides,novobiocin, polymyxins, rifamycins, spectinomysin, tetracyclines,vanomycin, teicoplanin, streptogramins, anti-folate agents includingsulfonamides, trimethoprim and its combinations and pyrimethamine,synthetic antibacterials including nitrofurans, methenamine mandelateand methenamine hippurate, nitroimidazoles, quinolones,fluoroquinolones, isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide,para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), cycloserine, capreomycin, ethionamide,prothionamide, thiacetazone, viomycin, eveminomycin, glycopeptide,glyclyclycline, ketolides, oxazolidinone; imipenen, amikacin,netilmicin, fosfomycin, gentamycin, ceftriaxone, Ziracin, Linezolid,Synercid, Aztreonam, and Metronidazole, Epiroprim, Sanfetrinem sodium,Biapenem, Dynemicin, Cefluprenam, Cefoselis, Sanfetrinem celexetil,Cefpirome, Mersacidin, Rifalazil, Kosan, Lenapenem, Veneprim, Sulopenem,ritipenam acoxyl, Cyclothialidine, micacocidin A, carumonam, Cefozopranand Cefetamet pivoxil.

Examples of antihistamine agents include diphenhydramine hydrochloride,diphenhydramine salicylate, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniraminehydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate isothipendyl hydrochloride,tripelennamine hydrochloride, promethazine hydrochloride, methdilazinehydrochloride, and the like. Examples of local anesthetic agents includedibucaine hydrochloride, dibucaine, lidocaine hydrochloride, lidocaine,benzocaine, p-buthylaminobenzoic acid 2-(die-ethylamino) ethyl esterhydrochloride, procaine hydrochloride, tetracaine, tetracainehydrochloride, chloroprocaine hydrochloride, oxyprocaine hydrochloride,mepivacaine, cocaine hydrochloride, piperocaine hydrochloride, dyclonineand dyclonine hydrochloride.

Examples of antiseptic agents include alcohols, quaternary ammoniumcompounds, boric acid, chlorhexidine and chlorhexidine derivatives,iodine, phenols, terpenes, bactericides, disinfectants includingthimerosal, phenol, thymol, benzalkonium chloride, benzethoniumchloride, chlorhexidine, povidone iode, cetylpyridinium chloride,eugenol and trimethylammonium bromide.

Examples of analgesic agents include alfentanil, benzocaine,buprenorphine, butorphanol, butamben, capsaicin, clonidine, codeine,dibucaine, enkephalin, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone,indomethacin, lidocaine, levorphanol, meperidine, methadone, morphine,nicomorphine, opium, oxybuprocaine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, pentazocine,pramoxine, proparacaine, propoxyphene, proxymetacaine, sufentanil,tetracaine and tramadol.

Examples of anesthetic agents include alcohols such as phenol; benzylbenzoate; calamine; chloroxylenol; dyclonine; ketamine; menthol;pramoxine; resorcinol; troclosan; procaine drugs such as benzocaine,bupivacaine, chloroprocaine; cinchocaine; cocaine; dexivacaine;diamocaine; dibucaine; etidocaine; hexylcaine; levobupivacaine;lidocaine; mepivacaine; oxethazaine; prilocaine; procaine; proparacaine;propoxycaine; pyrrocaine; risocaine; rodocaine; ropivacaine; tetracaine;and derivatives, such as pharmaceutically acceptable salts and estersincluding bupivacaine HCl, chloroprocaine HCl, diamocaine cyclamate,dibucaine HCl, dyclonine HCl, etidocaine HCl, levobupivacaine HCl,lidocaine HCl, mepivacaine HCl, pramoxine HCl, prilocaine HCl, procaineHCl, proparacaine HCl, propoxycaine HCl, ropivacaine HCl, and tetracaineHCl.

Examples of antihemorrhagic agents include thrombin, phytonadione,protamine sulfate, aminocaproic acid, tranexamic acid, carbazochrome,carbaxochrome sodium sulfanate, rutin and hesperidin. Additionalexamples of secondary or additional agents include chemotherapeutics(tyrosine kinase inhibitor, immune checkpoint inhibitor, VEGF inhibitor,etc) and glucose lowering medications (e.g. Metformin).

Additional examples of secondary agents include daunorubicin,daunomycin, dactinomycin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin,esorubicin, bleomycin, maphosphamide, ifosfamide, cytosine arabinoside,bischloroethyl-nitrosourea, Busulfan, mitomycin C, actinomycin D,mithramycin, prednisone, hydroxypregesterone, testosterone, tamoxifen,dacarbacine, procarbazine, hexamethylmelamine, pentamethylmelamine,mitoxantrone, amsacrine, chlorambucil, methylcyclohexylnitrosourea,nitrogen mustard, Melphalan, cyclophosphamide, 6-mercaptopurine,6-thioguanine, cytarabine, 5-azacytidine, hydroxyurea, deoxycoformycin,4-hydroxyperoxycyclo-phosphoramide, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU),5-Fluorodeoxyuridine (5-FUdR), methotrexate (MTX), colchicine, taxol,vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide (VP-16), trimetrexate, irinotecan,topotecan, gemcitabine, teniposide, cisplatin and diethylstilbestrol. Insome embodiments, secondary agents that can be used in combination withthe formulation disclosed herein or incorporated into the sametransdermal formulation include anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics,antibacterial agents, antifungal agents, antibiotics, vitamins, andantioxidants. In some embodiments, the secondary agent is selected frompiperine, anthranilic acid, benzophenone, camphor derivatives, cinnamicacid esters (for example, octyl methoxycinnamate), dibenzoylmethane (forexample, butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane), p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) andits derivatives, salicylic acid esters, and PDE5 inhibitors (e.g.sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra), andavanafil (Stendra)).

Any of the secondary agents described herein can be incorporated in thesame transdermal formulation. Alternatively, in some embodiments of anymethod disclosed herein, a secondary agent can be administeredseparately from the transdermal formulation via any suitable routeincluding oral, transdermal and parenteral routes.

In some embodiments, a combination of active agents in the transdermalformulation produces a synergistic therapeutic effect. For example,curcumin and a PDE5 inhibitor, when incorporated in the same transdermalformulation or administered sequentially in conjunction with each othercan lead to early symptomatic recovery (fever, cough, sore throat, andbreathlessness), less deterioration, fewer red flag signs in patientswith viral infections (e.g. COVID-19).

Transdermal Delivery System

A kit or a transdermal delivery system may contain, in an amountsufficient for at least one agent, any combination of the componentsdescribed herein, and may further include instructions recorded in atangible form for use of the components. In some applications, one ormore components may be provided in pre-measured single use amounts inindividual, typically disposable, patches, tubes or equivalentcontainers.

The formulation disclosed herein can be incorporated into a transdermaldelivery system or kit and used as a patch, swab, aerosol, cream,sponge, sprayer, nebulizer or via other suitable means. The transdermaldelivery system may also include an instruction manual on theadministration of the formulation and one or more of the treatmentmethods disclosed in this patent document. A liquid or semisolidformulation can be directly applied to the skin for example with a swabor a sponge. Alternatively, a transdermal delivery system may include alayer coated or impregnated with the liquid, semisolid, or solidtransdermal formulation. For instance, a patch may have a layerimpregnated with the liquid formulation or coated with a semisolid orsolid formulation. A transdermal delivery system may also include anadhesive member for attaching it to the skin.

The transdermal delivery system or kit can be in any suitable shape forapplying to a subject in need thereof. For example, a sponge loaded withthe formulation disclosed herein can be shaped as a circular,cylindrical, cone, planar, tubular, and other symmetrical orasymmetrical shape) for inserting in to a body cavity or attaching orapplying to a target location, and may include an applicator orapplicator portion. The sponge can be made from a material which absorbsliquid through capillary action. Alternatively, the material may behydrophilic or hygroscopic or coated with a hydrophilic or hygroscopiclayer that exhibits affinity for aqueous solution, especially watermoisture for example from the site or body cavity where the reservoir isplaced. A sponge with absorbant characteristics can be made from naturalor synthetic materials, which include for example polyester,polyurethane, and vegetal cellulose.

In some embodiments, the formulation is incorporated into a liquidreservoir. The reservoir can be used independently, or it can beattached to or enclosed partially or completely in a sponge.Alternatively, the content of the liquid reservoir, after necessaryprocessing or mixing with an additional agent, can be loaded to a spongefor application. In formulations involving a nitrite source thatrequires an acid to generate nitrous acid and NO, the acid can be addedto the reservoir containing the nitrite prior to administration.Alternatively, a dual liquid reservoir system can be employed. Forinstance, a pouch contains thiol-containing molecule and nitrite inpolyol solvent system and a separate pouch contains the acid source. Ofcourse, additional pouches can be used to enclose the thiol-containingmolecule or nitrite or fatty acid separately. Prior to administration orupon contact with the skin, the contents of the pouches are mixed toinitiate the reaction between the acid and nitrite and subsequentnitration of the thiol-containing molecule. The pouches for enclosingthe NO precursor or the acid source are generally frangible or permeablecontainers, which do not contact each other or are separated by anon-permeable and removable barrier prior to administration of theformulation. Upon administration, the acid and the NO precursor canpermeate out of their respective pouches to mix with each other underpressing from the user after removal of the barrier. The acid and the NOprecursor can also be mixed simply by breaking the pouches upon or priorto administration. In a further exemplary embodiment, the acid and theNO precursor are mixed in a container prior to administration. Theresulting mixture is soaked up with a swab, a sponge, or an absorbingpatch and then applied to the skin.

In some embodiments, the pouch has a permeable or semi-permeablemembrane surface that is optionally coated with an adhesive for affixingthe membrane to the skin. Instead of adhesive coating, the pouch canalso be affixed to the skin by holding the pouch to the skin and thencovering the pouch with an adhesive patch or enclosing sheet.Commercially available pouchstock material such as DuPont's SURLYN® canbe also used for liquid reservoir. Additional examples includecoextruded ethylene acrylic acid/low-density polyethylene (EAA/LDPE)material, or BAREX® from INEOS (acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate).

In some embodiments where the NO precursor is a mixture ofthio-containing molecule and nitrite, the formulation can beincorporated into a patch. A layer of the patch is impregnated with thethe NO precursor in the polyol and fatty acid sovent system, whereas theacid source is disposed in a separate layer. The two layers do not comeinto contact with each other until attachment of the patch to skin orbefore administration. By applying pressure to the patch, contents ofthe different layers can be mixed. Alternatively, the patch inludes anon-permeable barrier between the two layers and removal of the barrierbefore administration allows for mixing the nitrite and acid.

In some embodiments, the formulation is a solid which contains athickener or solidifying material such as cocoa butter. In someembodiments, the formulation is a solid or semisolid which containspetroleum jelly. The solid or semisolid formulation can be applied tothe skin or melt when rubbed with pressure on to the skin.

In some embodiments, the formulation is filled into a nebulizer orsprayer, which delivers the agent in aerosol form to the nose, mouth, orlung of a subject in need. Carbon dioxide or other suitable gas can beused as a propellant.

The systems or kits can comprise any number of additional reagents orsubstances that are useful for practicing a method of the invention. Thekits or systems of the invention can be provided at any temperature. Forexample, for storage of kits including certain S-nitrosothiol-containingmolecules in a liquid or gel, they may be provided and maintained at asuitable temperature, or around 0° C.

The kits or systems can also include instruction manuals and packagingmaterials for holding the container or combination of containers.Instructions, such as written directions or videotaped demonstrationsdetailing the use of the transdermal formulation for treating targetdiseases and conditions, can be included with the kit or systems.Typical packaging materials for such kits and systems include solidmatrices (e.g., glass, plastic, paper, foil, and the like) that hold thecomponents in any of a variety of configurations (e.g., in a pouch,tube, and the like).

Such kits or systems may also include information, such as scientificliterature references, package insert materials, clinical trial results,and/or summaries of these and the like, which indicate or establish theactivities and/or advantages of the composition, and/or which describedosing, administration, side effects, drug interactions, or otherinformation useful to the health care provider. Such information may bebased on the results of various studies, for example, studies usingexperimental animals involving in vivo models and studies based on humanclinical trials. Kits or systems described herein can be provided,marketed and/or promoted to health providers, including physicians,nurses, pharmacists, formulary officials, and the like. Kits may also,in some embodiments, be marketed directly to the consumer.

Method of Use

Because the transdermal formualation introduces high levels ofcurcuminoids and/or other potent anti-inflammatory and/or anti-oxidantagents locally and/or systemically, it provides a rapid intervention forvarious diseases and conditions.

The transdermal formulation can be administered in any suitable route todeliver the active ingredient across the skin, mucosa, or membrane of asubject's body. Nonlimiting examples of suitable routes include forexample topical (e.g. instillation and mucosal path including vaginaland rectal delivery), pulmonary (e.g. by inhalation or insufflation ofpowders or aerosols including by nebulizer), intratracheal, intranasal,and epithelial route. In some embodiments, the transdermal formulationincludes one or both of curcumin and quercetin, and optionally one ormore of one or more of polyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid, andsecosteroid.

Without being limited to any particular theory, it is postulated thatthe transdermal formulation disclosed herein delivers an active agenttransdermally to a subject and enhances the systemic or local NO levelin the subject. In some embodiments, the formulation contains aneffective amount of an NO booster to increase systemic or local NO levelin the subject. In some embodiments, the formulation contains aneffective amount of an NO precursor, wherein the method converts the NOprecursor to for example the S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule, whichreleases NO transdermally to the subject. In some embodiments, theformulation may contain both an NO booster and an NO precursor. In someembodiments the formulation may also contain a secondary agent asdefined above.

The transdermal formulation achieves NO enhancement through pathwaysincluding up-regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS),enhancement of the activity of eNOS, and reduction of the levels of ROS.For example, ROS scavenges NO, causes eNOS decoupling resulting in thecessation of eNOS associated NO synthase and instead further productionof ROS by eNOS. Meanwhile, loss of the endothelium results in: i) lossthe flow mediated mechanostransduction mechanism for controlling NOproduction from eNOS; and in the loss of the cell free zone next to theendothelium which prevents NO scavenging by hemoglobin in the red bloodcells. The transdermal formulation of this patent document provides aneffective amount of the active agent the can enhances NO level in theendothelial lining of blood vessels by inhibiting ROS scavenges NO andlimiting the degradation of the glycocalyx lining of the endothelium.

The transdermal formulation can be applied to the body surface or bodycavitiy of a subject. For example, the method of enhancing systemic orlocal NO level or treating a disease or condition may involve inserting,between cheek and gum, a sponge loaded with the formulation disclosedherein.

Various diseases or conditions can be treated with the transdermalformulation disclosed herein. Nonlimiting examples of the diseases andconditions include hypertension, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction,dermatological conditions, ophthalmological conditions, bacterialinfection, viral infection, ischemia reperfusion injury, hypoxiareoxygenation injury, cytokine storm phenomena, sickle cell disease,inflammatory consequences of an acute sickle cell crisis and otherhemoglobinopathies including HbE/betaThalassemia, Chagas disease, type 2diabetes, Lupus, and transient inflammatory conditions including “brainfog” due to chemotherapy and leaky gut syndrome.

In further exemplary embodiments, the transdermal formulation and systemcan be used as a transdermal therapy for preventing, managing andreversing the clinical consequences of inflammatory diseases includingdiabetes, COVID-19 infection and sickle cell disease, providing topicaltreatment of hypertension or topical treatment of osteoarthritis,reversing acute inflammatory cascades (cytokine storm), improving thesafety and efficacy of transfused stored red blood cells, treatingcerebral malaria or Chagas disease, or treating other early stage acuteinflammatory diseases.

Phytochemicals (e.g. curcuminoids) have been shown to have antiviralactivity. For instance, it has recently been shown that the glycocalyxcan prevent access of viruses to the ACE2 binding receptor onendothelial cells thus limiting uptake and replication. Underlyingendothelial dysfunction degrades the glycocalyx thus increasing accessof the virus to the ACE2 binding site. Curcumin and many of these otherphytochemicals protect and preserve the glycocalyx by reducing ROSproduction and enhancing endothelial NO production (vide infra). Thesephytochemicals also reduce the pro-inflammatory insults due to diet andobesity by normalizing lipid and glucose metabolism including insulinproduction and utilization. For treating toxic chemical and metaltriggered inflammation, curcumin and other phytochemicals can chelateand eliminate the toxics from the blood. It also limits the inflammatoryresponse to inhaled toxic agents thus lowering the propensity for theprogression towards ARDS. The phytochemicals stabilize red blood cellsthus minimizing toxic agent-induced hemolysis which is a potent triggerof inflammation.

The formulations disclosed herein are capable of addressingpro-inflammatory insults including acute inflammatory insults triggeredby certain viral infection (e.g. SARS CoV2, Dengue fever, andinfluenza), obesity and glucose induced inflammatory triggers, andinflammation triggered by exposure to toxic metals and chemicals. Forexample, in patients with long COVID, side effects attributed to COVIDthat become manifest well after the seeming recovery from the primaryinfection include brain fog, fatigue, achiness, clotting issues,myocarditis, edema and more. Most of these long COVID symptoms can beattributed to a continued imbalance between pro-inflammatory andanti-inflammatory factors that favor development of and persistence ofendothelial dysfunction. The formulations and methods disclosed hereincan be applied to the treatment of these clinical manifestations of longCOVID.

In some embodiments of the treatment methods, the transdermalformulation disclosed herein is applied to treating diseases orconditions commonly associated with a “cytokine storm” including but notlimited to: COVID-19 infection, sepsis, systemic inflammatory responsesyndrome (SIRS), cachexia, septic shock syndrome, traumatic brain injury(e.g., cerebral cytokine storm), graft versus host disease (GVHD), orthe result of treatment with activated immune cells, e.g., IL-2activated T cells, T cells activated with anti-CD19 Chimeric AntigenReceptor (CAR) T cells. Besides the impact on endothelial function,active agents such as curcumin at sufficient concentrations acts toefficiently block the binding of the spike protein on SARS CoV 2 to theACE2 binding site on endothelial cells and pulmonary epithelial cellsthus inhibiting viral replication in vulnerable subjects.

In some embodiments of the treatment methods disclosed herein, thetransdermal formulation is administered to treat vascular leakage causedby a disease or condition. Nonlimiting exemplary diseases or conditionsinclude vascular leak syndrome, infectious disease, inflammatorydiseases, inter alia, sepsis, lupus, irritable bowel disease,inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation of the general vasculatureincluding the blood brain barrier due to chemotherapy. Vascular leakageis characterized by hypotension, peripheral edema, and hypoalbuminemia.Vascular leakage can also be associated with diseases due to pathogens,inter alia, viruses and bacteria.

In some embodiments of the treatment methods disclosed herein, thetransdermal formulation is administered to treat or reduce the risk of acardiovascular disease associated with endothelial dysfunction.Endothelial cells are important constituents of blood vessels that playcritical roles in cardiovascular homeostasis by regulating bloodfluidity and fibrinolysis, vascular tone, angiogenesis,monocyte/leukocyte adhesion, and platelet aggregation. The occurrence ofendothelial dysfunction disrupts the endothelial barrier permeabilitythat is a part of inflammatory response in the development ofcardiovascular diseases. Nonlimiting examples of cardiovascular diseasesinclude coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardialinfarction (commonly known as a heart attack), stroke, heart failure,hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy,abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart disease, valvular heartdisease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease,thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis.

In some embodiments, the amount/dosage of the active agent(s) areselected and/or the administration schedule are configures so that themethod increases or decreases the level of a biomarker associated with acardiovascular disease in the subject by at least about 5%, at leastabout 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%,at least about 40%, at least about 50%, or at least about 60% incomparison with a control (without treatment with the transdermalformulation) or the level prior to the treatment with the transdermalformulation disclosed herein. Nonlimiting examples of the biomarkersassociated with cardiovascular diseases include white blood cell count(WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum C-reactive protein(CRP), cardiac troponin, Creatinine kinase (CK), CK-MB and myoglobin. Insome embodiments, the subject prior to the treatment has an abnormallevel of one or more biomarkers associated with a cardiovasculardisease, wherein the abnormal level of the one or more biomarkers ishigher or lower than a normal level or the level of a healthy subject byat least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at leastabout 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%,or at least about 60%.

Further examples of infectious diseases commonly associated with a“cytokine storm” or vascular leakage include but are not limited to,Coronaviruses (COV's including CoVid-19/(SARS-CoV-2) coronavirusinfection), malaria, avian influenza, smallpox, pandemic influenza,adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe acute respiratorysyndrome (SARS). Certain specific infectious agents include but are notlimited to Ebola, Marburg, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), SouthAmerican hemorrhagic fever, dengue, yellow fever, Rift Valley fever,Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, Kyasanur Forest, Junin, Machupo, Sabia,Guanarito, Garissa, Ilesha, or Lassa fever viruses. In some embodiments,the infectious disease is caused by virus, bacteria, fungus, helminths,protozoan, or hemorrhagic infectious agents. In some embodiments, theinfectious disease is caused by coronaviruses (cov's including covid-19)arenaviridae, filoviridae, bunyaviridae, flaviviridae, or rhabdoviridaevirus. In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation and the methodsdescribed herein can be applied to the treatment of septic shocksyndrome, a chronic inflammatory response to the infectious disease.

The methods disclosed herein can also be applied to the treatment ofvarious types of pain including for example, neuropathic pain, surgeryrelated pain, trauma, periodontal or other dental procedure relatedpain, and orthopedic or arthritic pain. For instance, pain related withperiodontal or other dental procedure can be treated with spongeinserted into a subject's mouth at a suitable location such as betweencheek and gum. The transdermal formulation can be administered before orafter the onset of pain. For example, the formulation can beadministered to a subject prior to a surgical procedure as aprophylactic method to mitigate the pain.

Conventional medications for neuropathic pain have various levels ofside effects. The transdermal formations disclosed herein can be usedalone or in combination with conventional drugs, including for examplegabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants, and/or selectiveserotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors as the first-line drugs,lidocaine, capsaicin, and/or tramadol as second-line drugs, andmorphine, oxycodone, botulinum toxin-A, and other opioids as third-linetreatments. As a result, the transdermal formulations provide thebenefit of reduced reliance on conventional pain medication andminimized side effects.

The transdermal forumations can also be applied to postoperative painmanagement. For individuals undergoing surgeries, including for example,bypass, and thoracic surgery, coronary, groin hernia repair, and legamputation, the transdermal forumations can serve as alternativetherapeutics to treat these aforementioned pain conditions.

As described above, the formulation can be adminstered in any suitableform for the methods disclosed herein. In some embodiments of anyformulation or method disclosed herein, the formulation is in asemisolid form or solid form and is rubbed or rolled on the skin ormucosal surface of the subject. In some embodiments, a patch is coatedor impregnated with the formulation in a liquid, semisolid or solidform. In some embodiments, one or more of the NO booster, NO precursorand acid source are in a liquid reservoir prior to administration. Insome embodiments, the formulation is administered via a sprayer ornebulizer. In some embodiments, the subject is a human. In someembodiments, the presence of symptoms, signs, and/or risk factors of adisease or condition to be treated is determined before beginningadministration of the formulation.

The transdermal formualation of this patent document can be administeredto activate NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in a subject.Accordingly, various diseases or conditions associated withdysfunctional SIRT1 can be treated. The sirtuins are a class ofNAD+-dependent protein deacetylase enzymes that regulate a wide varietyof cellular activities that promote cell survival and extend lifespan inresponse to environmental stress. Sirtuins exert their effect byremoving acetyl groups from certain target proteins in the presence ofoxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). For example, theyeast sirtuin enzyme Sir2 (silent information regulator 2), originallyidentified for its role in silencing transcription of DNA, has also beenshown to promote cell survival in response to caloric restriction.Similarly, in C. elegans, the sirtuin enzyme SIR-2.1 has been shown toextend lifespan. In mammalian cells, the sirtuin enzyme SIRT1 (a homologof the yeast Sir2 and C. elegans SIR-2.1 enzymes) deacetylates the tumorsuppressor p53 to promote cell survival. SIRT1 has been reported toregulate various pathways, including for example, restoring angiogenicfunction and the secretion of proangiogenic factors in endothelialprogenitor cell. Seminal papers have demonstrated that SIRT1 is involvedin the protection against excessive inflammation and oxidative stress bydeacetylating NFκB and Forkhead box 0 transcription factors.Furthermore, SIRT1 inhibits cellular senescence, promotes keratinocytedifferentiation, and protects against UV-induced DNA damage. Severalstudies have also demonstrated that downregulated or dysfunctional SIRT1is associated with various diseases such as in a diabetic milieu andthat SIRT1 overexpression improves glucose intolerance and insulinsensitivity and protects against diabetes. Sirtuins therefore appear tobe activated as part of a beneficial cellular response to stress,resulting in cell survival and extended lifespan.

Activators of sirtuins may therefore be beneficial in effectingfundamental cellular processes that protect cells from stress andprevent or treat various diseases or conditions, and lengthen healthylife.

Transdermal delivery of NO enhancing and SIRT1 activating therapeuticsallows for facile combination with oral treatments that target otherrelevant disease pathways not effectively addressed through thetrandermally delivered agents. The method includes administering to thesubject in need thereof a transdermal formulation disclosed herein. Insome embodiments, the formulation includes (a) a therapeuticallyeffective amount of a SIRT1 activating agent; (b) a polyol solvent in anamount sufficient to dissolve the SIRT1 activating agent; and (c) afatty acid. The SIRT1 activating agent can be one or more NO boostersdescribed above. In some embodiments, the SIRT1 activating agentincludes one or more of curcuminoids, berberine, quercetin, resveratrol,and fisetin. The amount of the activating agent can be adjusteddepending on the nature of the agent and the disease or condition to betreated. In some embodiments, the activating agent ranges from about0.05% to about 40% by weight in the formulation. In some embodiments,the formulation provides continued release of the activating agent overa period of about 15 hours.

Treatment of acute and chronic diseases or other conditions can benefitfrom enhanced systemic nitric oxide levels in the endothelium and/oractivation of the SIRT1 and NRF2 signaling pathways. Non-limitingdiseases or conditions include sickle cell disease, HbE/betaThalassemiaand other thalassemias, diabetic retinopathies, glaucoma, dry eyesyndrome, and surgery triggered inflammation.

In some embodiments, the method enhances SIRT1 activity in a subject.The scope and composition of the formulation are as described above. Insome embodiments, the formulation includes (a) a therapeuticallyeffective amount of a SIRT1 activating agent; (b) a polyol solvent in anamount sufficient to dissolve the SIRT1 activating agent; and optionally(c) a fatty acid. The SIRT1 activating agent can be one or more NOboosters described above. In some embodiments, the SIRT1 activatingagent includes one or more of curcuminoids, berberine, quercetin,resveratrol, and fisetin. The amount of the activating agent can beadjusted depending on the nature of the agent and the disease orcondition to be treated. In some embodiments, the activating agentranges from about 0.05% to about 40% by weight in the formulation. Insome embodiments, the formulation provides continued release of theactivating agent over a period of about 1, about 2, about 4, about 8,about 10, about 15 or about 24 hours. In some embodiments, the diseaseor condition is selected from aging, chronic and acute inflammatorycondition, chemically induced vascular inflammation, viral infection,bacterial infection, and fungal infection. In some embodiments, thesubject the transdermal formulation, diagnosing the subject as havingendothelial dysfunction or a disease or condition associated withendothelial dysfunction. In some embodiments, the subject has beendiagnosed as having a disease or condition selected from the groupconsisting of neurodegenerative disease, diabetic kidney disease,diabetes, cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, musculardystrophy, pain, neuroinflammatory condition, abnormal vascularhomeostasis, and lupus.

The transdermal formulation of this patent document can be administeredto promote the therapeutic effect or reduce adverse events of anothertherapy. In some embodiments of any method disclosed herein, thetransdermal formulation of this patent document can be administeredprior to, simultaneously with, or subsequent to another therapy, whichincludes for example orally administered medication, intravenousinfusion, intramuscular infusion, topical medical treatment, and/orsurgery. In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation isadministered prior to an additional therapy for the disease orcondition. For instance, topical pretreatment with the formulationdisclosed herein before transfusions can maximize tissue perfusion andminimize transfusion associated inflammation. Topical pretreatment withthe formulation or concomitant administration with another therapy canalso reduce adverse events associated with the therapy (e.g. side effectassociated with glucose lowering medications such as Metformin, skinrash, oral cavity mucositis/stomatitis associated withchemotherapeutics).

The transdermal formulation can also enhance endothelial function in asubject. Accordingly, various diseases or conditions associated withdysfunctional or imbalanced endothelial function can be treated. Theendothelium has two interrelated major elements that are essential forvascular homeostasis: the glycocalyx and endothelial nitric oxidesynthase (eNOS). The hair-like projections from the endothelium calledthe glycocalyx are responsible for: i) maintaining vascular integrityand thus limiting vascular leakage and access of macrophages and lipidsinto the deeper layers of the vascular wall (triggers for plaqueformation); ii) controlling excessive production of reactive oxygenspecies (ROS) by acting as depot for superoxide dismutase (SOD) a potentantioxidant; iii) modulation of blood flow in response to physiologicaldemands through sheer stress controlled production of nitric oxide byeNOS; iv) limiting access to and binding to the endothelium of bloodborne cells (RBC's monocytes, leukocytes), platelets, and infectiousagents; v) limit activation of platelets; vi) prevention of blood flowstagnation; vii) insuring continued NO production by eNOS by preventingeNOS decoupling as a result of excess ROS. In the decoupled state eNOSno longer generates NO but instead produces more inflammation generatingROS; viii) maintaining a cell free zone along the endothelial layer andthus preventing scavenging endothelial generated NO by RBC's in closeproximity to the endothelial layer. Meanwhile, nitric oxide generated byendothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is essential for vascularhomeostasis. The critical function of eNO include: i) maintain tissueperfusion/oxygenation; ii) prevent blood flow stagnation; iii) prevent apro-coagulopathy environment; iv) repolarize activated macrophages andthus promote tissue repair and limit tissue damage; v) regulate pro andanti-inflammatory processes (balance between pro-inflammatory iNOSactivity that generates damaging peroxynitrite and anti-inflammatoryeNOS activity that produces eNO, activation of SIRT-1); vi) preventinflammatory damage due to ischemia reperfusion and hypoxiareoxygenation; vii) prevent ROS induced damage including lipidperoxidation and glycocalyx degradation; viii) creates a depot of storednitrosothiols within the endothelium and surrounding vascular layersthat can rapidly provide NO under conditions requiring enhanced levelsof NO as in the case of extreme muscular activity.

Endothelial dysfunction is a physiological dysfunction of normalbiochemical processes carried out by the endothelium, the cells liningthe inner surface of blood vessels. A hallmark of endothelialdysfunction is impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, which ismediated by nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial nitric oxidesynthase (eNOS), a constitutive form of NOS that is principallyexpressed in endothelial cells. In healthy vasculature, NO produced bythe endothelium diffuses to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), whereit activates guanylate cyclase and stimulates production of cyclicguanosine monophosphate (cGMP), thereby promoting relaxation of the VSMCand, consequently, vasodilation. Other functions of the endothelium(e.g., inhibition of platelet aggregation, inhibition of leukocyteadherence, and inhibition of VSMC proliferation) are also mediated byNO. In dysfunctional endothelium, NO production is impaired. Endothelialdysfunction can be detected clinically for example by elevations in thenumber of circulating endothelial cells (CECs).

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with various diseases includingfor example hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure,stroke, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, chronic renal failure,abnormal vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and othercardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and othermetabolic syndrome, Lupus, HIV, inflammation resulting from radiationand drug treatments (e.g. chemotherapies), Hemoglobinopathies (Sicklecell disease, HbE/beta Thalassemia, Cytokine storm associated conditionsinduced by viral diseases (e.g. SARS CoV 2, Dengue fever, influenza,hemorrhagic shock, hemorrhagic fevers), erectile dysfunction secondaryto surgery induced inflammation, and inflammation associated withincreased populations of senescent cells typically occurring with age.Moreover, endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a key event in thedevelopment of atherosclerosis and predates clinically obvious vascularpathology by many years. Endothelial dysfunction has also been shown tobe of prognostic significance in predicting vascular events includingstroke and myocardial infarctions. In addition, endothelial dysfunctionwas shown to be implicated in inflammation, infection, immune systemdysfunction, sleep apnea, sepsis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,exposure to pro-inflammatory agents.

The methods disclosed herein are applicable to the treatment of acuteconsequences as well as chronic consequences of endothelial dysfunction.Examples of chronic consequences of endothelial dysfunction includediseases and conditions described above. In some embodiments, the methodis applicable to treating acute consequences including, for example,cytokine storm and associated, physical activity or diet triggeredhypoxic/ischemic organ damage (e.g. heart attack due to insufficienttissue perfusion/oxygenation), stroke, micro and macro emboli, pulmonaryembolus, ischemia reperfusion injury, hypoxia reoxygenation injury, andlong covid which is a consequence of ongoing chronicinflammation/endothelial dysfunction. In some embodiments, the method isapplicable to treating chronic consequences including, for example,Cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary artery disease (CAD), renalfailure, cognitive decline and enhanced predisposition to dementia,hypertension, sexual dysfunction, slow healing wounds, accelerated stentfailure/closure, coronary artery bypass failure, slow healing wounds,reduced tolerance for physical activity due to mitochondrialdysfunction, accelerated age related conditions, osteoarthritis,transient ischemic events, diabetic retinopathy, decreased insulinproduction due to inflammation initiated damage to pancreatic betacells, HIV induced CVD, CVS and CAD secondary to ongoing periodicepisodes of either sleep apnea and/or blood flow stagnation (e.g. sicklecell disease). Additional applications of the method includetransfusions that include either RBC's or hemoglobin based oxygencarriers (HBOCs) and kidney dialysis.

The transdermal formulation can be administered to treat various localconditions associated endothelial dysfunction. For example, localconditions such as slow healing leg ulcers and erectile dysfunction areassociated with underlying and often severe endothelial dysfunctionwhich limits blood flow the damaged tissues. A method for treating slowhealing leg ulcers includes sustained local delivery of nitric oxide toeliminate biofilms and infection that prevent therapeutic efficacy ofagents that are designed to accelerate wound closure. In paralleltransermal delivery of an active agent such as curcumin will normalizethe systemic vasculature thus promoting tissue oxygenation and allowingstem cell migration and development. The transdermal formulation can beadministered in combination with an antibiotic agent or any suitablewound healing agent. For erectile dysfunction, the transdermal deliveryof an agent such as curcumin can be used alone or in combination withtopical nitric oxide and/or oral PD5 inhibitors to restore systemicvascular health and reduce systemic inflammation. Given that systemic NObooster (e.g. curcumin) enhances NO production in the endothelium andthat oral supplementation with PD5 inhibitors extends the duration ofaction of NO, the combination of transdermally delivered active agentwith oral PD5 inhibitors will accelerate recovery of the endothelium forpatients with endothelial dysfunction including long covid and cytokinestorm.

The transdermal formulation disclosed herein can also be administered toa subject in need thereof for decreasing ROS production, peroxynitriteproduction (via deactivation of iNOS activity) and/or increasing eNOproduction in the endothelium. Without being limited to any particulartheory, it is postulated that the formulation provides pleiotropiceffect of upregulation and/or activation of multiple anti-inflammatoryand antioxidant enzymes and signaling pathways including for exampleSirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and other inflammation modulating sirtuins,PPAR(gamma) (Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-Gamma),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator(PGC)-1alpha is a member of a family of transcription coactivators thatplays a central role in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism.AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a phylogenetically conservedfuel-sensing enzyme that is present in all mammalian cells. Whenactivated AMPK stimulates energy generating processes such as glucoseuptake and fatty acid oxidation and decreases energy consuming processessuch as protein and lipid synthesis. The transcription factor Nrf2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), a major regulator ofantioxidant and cellular protective genes, is primarily activated inresponse to oxidative stress. SIRT1/PGC-1a/PPAR-T pathway, eNOS mediatedenhancement of eNO production, PPARP's, Nrf2, Heme oxygenase, AMPK, andACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, or ACE2 “receptor,” the proteinprovides the entry point for the coronavirus to hook into and infect awide range of human cells. The formulation can also be applied to downregulation or inhibition of (toll like receptor 4 part of the triggeringmechanism for inflammation) TLR4, NADPH oxidases (NADPH oxidase(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase) is amembrane-bound enzyme complex that faces the extracellular space andgenerates reactive oxygen species), and ACE (ACE (Angiotensin IConverting Enzyme).

The transdermal formulation described herein can be applied to thetreatment and management of acute pro-inflammatory insults as well asthe chronic consequences of many pro-inflammatory conditions that canpromote or relate to endothelial dysfunction (ED). Nonlimiting examplesof diseases or conditions associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED)include cardiovascular disease, renal failure, cognitive decline, slowhealing wounds, hypertension, stroke, microemboli, edema, sexualdysfunction, retinopathy, neuropathy, and neuropathic pain.

For acute diseases or conditions, the formulation is capable of rapidlyinitiating global anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity to shortcircuit and limit the progression leading to the severe consequences ofextreme ED. For example, a suitable patch or sponge loaded with theformulation provides extremely high concentration of NO stimulatingagents such as curcumin and insert between the gums and cheeks for a tobe determine time to insure rapid and sustained delivery of therapeuticlevels of curcuminoids or other anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and NOstimulating agents. This safe approach eliminates concern overoverdosing with NO directly and additionally activates the fullrepertoire of host based anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways. Theuse of transdermally delivered systemically or locally active agentssuch as curcuminoids can stimulate NO production in the vasculatureand/or reducing the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS).This combination of enhancing endothelial generated NO and shutting downROS production is designed to prevent, limit and reverse ED and itsconsequences.

The transdermal formulation of this patent document can be administeredto a subject in need thereof for treating diabetes and associatedinflammation and other conditions. Inflammation in adipose tissuepromotes insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, both of which cause andextend endothelial dysfunction. In addition, chronic untreatedendothelial dysfunction generated and enhanced by hyperglycemia, excessROS production and other diabetes associated factors is the commonpathway through which type 2 diabetes and other pro-inflammatorytriggers the end stage clinical symptoms including for examplecardiovascular disease, renal failure, hypertension, stroke andmicroemboli, slow healing wounds, sexual and bladder dysfunction.neuropathic pain, and cognitive decline. By reducing blood glucose,reversing insulin resistance, reducing elevated blood glucose level orprocedure-induced exaggerated and sustained rise in blood glucose,reducing levels of ROS, enhancing NO levels in the endothelium andrestoring vascular homeostasis, the transdermal formulation of thispatent document minimizes the negative and/or undesirable outcomesassociated with surgery, transfusions, stent implants, dialysis and anyother invasive procedure that can promote systemic inflammation. Theformulation can upregulate Nrf2 and the associated antioxidant enzymesincluding the potent antioxidant heme oxygenase (HO-1) and reducesoxidative stress (thereby allowing for recovery of damaged endothelium,treating endothelial dysfunction and preventing the onset or theprogression of endothelial dysfunction). Further, it limits the diabetesenhanced glucose response post-surgery and shortens the recovery time ofthe elevated glucose levels. Further, it can limit the extended andexaggerated stress-induced glucose spike in stressed (e.g. injuries,surgery and blood transfusion) diabetics, and the inflammatoryconsequences of the stress including urogenital dysfunction postprostatectomy.

The transdermal formulation can thus be administered to limit thenegative clinical consequences associated with inflammation triggers insubjects with preexisting conditions or at risk of developing conditionsthat promote hyperglycemia and the ensuing endothelial dysfunction. Insome embodiments, the formulation is administered prophylactically to asubject at risk of developing hyperglycemia. In some embodiments, thesubject has been determined to have hyperglycemia.

In some embodiments, the amount/dosage of the active agent(s) areselected and/or the administration schedule are configures so that themethod restores insulin sensitivity and/or reduces elevated bloodglucose by at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, atleast about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about50%, or at least about 60% in comparison with a control (withouttreatment with the transdermal formulation) or the level prior to thetreatment with the transdermal formulation disclosed herein. In someembodiments, the subject has been diagnosed to have diabetes (e.g. type2 diabetes), undergone invasive procedures such as surgery, bloodtransfusion, stent implants, and dialysis, or suffered injury. In someembodiments, the subject prior to the treatment has an abnormal level ofblood glucose, wherein the abnormal level is higher or lower than anormal level or the level of a healthy subject by at least about 5%, atleast about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, atleast 80% or at least 100%.

The transdermal formulations disclosed herein are capable of reducingthe level of pro-imflamatory cytokines. In some embodiments of themethods disclosed herein, the amount/dosage of the active agent(s) areselected and/or the administration schedule are configures so that oneor more of biomarkers are reduced or modified by at least about 5%, atleast about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60% or atleast about 100% in comparison with a control or the level prior to thetreatment with the transdermal formulation. Nonlimiting examples of themarkers that can be reduced or modified by the transdermal formulationsdisclosed herein include TNF-α, TGFβ, MCP-1, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10,IL-1, IL-18, MIF, TNF-β, MMP9, HIF-1, GLUT1, Hemox, PDK1, VEGF, CD 11,EMR1, CXCR4, CCR5, IL-8, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE), hsCRP, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Prostaglandins,leukotrienes, substance P, Phosphatidylserine surface presentation onRBCs, Selectins, laminins and Cahedrins, Immunoglobulin receptors,chondroitin sulfate, syndecan-1, IL-1a/b, TNF-a, IL-6, D-dimer and othermarkers that reflect propensity to abnormal blood clotting, emboliformation, thrombosis, C-reactive protein (CRP), Nrf2, NFkappa B,glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Syndecan-1,HMW-hyaluronic acid (1,000-6,000 kDa), A disintegrin and metalloproteasewith thrombospondin type 1 repeats-13, Protein C, Von Willebrand factor,Chondroitin sulfate, and sP-selectin. Additional examples includemarkers associated with blood pressure, vasodilation, lood flowdynamics, vascular leakage/edema, M1/M2 Macrophage polarization, Solubleplatelet selectin, Heparan sulfate, and cell and tissue oxygenation. Insome embodiments, the subject prior to the treatment has an abnormallevel of one or more biomarkers or pro-imflamatory cytokines, whereinthe abnormal level of the biomarkers or one or more cytokines is higheror lower than a normal level or the level of a healthy subject by atleast about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, atleast about 60% or at least about 100%.

In some embodiments of the methods disclosed herein, the subject hasbeen diagnosed as having a disease or condition selected from the groupconsisting of aging, chronic and acute inflammatory condition,chemically induced vascular and/or pulmonary inflammation, viralinfection, bacterial infection, and fungal infection.

Further examples of disease or condition that can be treated withmethods disclosed herein include neurodegenerative disease, diabetickidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, endothelialdysfunction, muscular dystrophy, pain, neuroinflammatory condition,abnormal vascular homeostasis, lupus, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer'sdisease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,neurodegenerative consequences of traumatic brain injury or cerebralhemorrhage, hypertension, inflammation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoidarthritis, endothelial dysfunction, dermatological condition,ophthalmological condition, bacterial infection, viral infection,ischemia reperfusion injury, hypoxia reoxygenation injury, cytokinestorm phenomena, cerebral malaria, Chagas disease, hemoglobinopathies,type 2 diabetes, coronavirus, skin/dermatological conditions, acne,inflammatory skin conditions, raynaud's disease, post herpetic lesions,shingles, skin infections, wounds, burns, leg ulcers, sickle cell,diabetic, onychomycosis, peripheral vascular disease, infected and/orinflamed mucosal tissues, erectile dysfunction, female sexualdysfunction, vaginal infections/inflammation, catheter associatedurinary tract infection, sinusitis, cystic fibrosis, acute respiratorydistress syndrome, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonarydisease (COPD), bronchiectasis, pulmonary infections includingtubercolosis, pulmonary hypertension, and burns and other open wounds,inner ear infection, outer ear infection, gastric and intestinaldiseases, and acute vascular inflammatory conditions. Further examplesof diseases treatable with methods described herein include infectiousdisease is selected from the group consisting of Coronaviruses(including SARS-CoV-2), Ebola, Dengue fever, hemorrhagic shock,endotoxic shock, acellular hemoglobin toxicity due to hemolysis and/orthe use of acellular hemoglobin based blood substitutes (HBOC's), Riftvalley fever, Marburg, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), SouthAmerican hemorrhagic fever, dengue, yellow fever, Omsk hemorrhagic fevervirus, Kyasanur Forest, Junin, Machupo, Sabia, Guanarito, Garissa,Ilesha, and Lassa fever viruses.

Further examples of diseases or conditions treatable with theformulations disclosed herein include neurodegenerative diseases ordisorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease,Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiplesclerosis and disorders caused by polyglutamine aggregation); skeletalmuscle disease (e.g. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, skeletal muscleatrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy or myotonic Dystrophy); metabolicdisorders (e.g. insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, impaired glucosetolerance, high blood cholesterol, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia andhyperlipidemia); adult-onset diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy(e.g. sensory neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, motor neuropathy,retinopathy); bone disease (e.g. osteoporosis), blood disease (e.g.leukemia); liver disease (e.g. due to alcohol abuse or hepatitis);Obesity; bone resorption, macular degeneration aging, AIDS-relateddementia, ALS, Bell's palsy, atherosclerosis, heart disease (forexample, arrhythmia, chronic congestive heart failure, ischemic stroke,coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy), Chronic degenerativedisease (e.g., myocardial disease), chronic renal failure, type 2diabetes, ulcer, cataract, presbyopia, glomerulonephritis,Guillain-Barre syndrome, hemorrhagic stroke, rheumatoid arthritis,inflammatory bowel disease, SLE, Crohn's disease, Diseases or disordersassociated with osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic obstructivepulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, skin aging, urinary incontinence,mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g. mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy,Leber's disease, Lee encephalopathy, Pearson Disease, lactate acidosis,“mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactate acidosis and stroke-likesymptoms” (MELAS), muscular diseases, including neuromuscular diseases,such as muscular dystrophy and myopathy, and diseases or disordersassociated with neuronal death, aging, or other conditions characterizedby unwanted cell loss. In some embodiments, the disease or condition isselected from Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington'sdisease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and neurodegenerativeconsequences of traumatic brain injury or cerebral hemorrhage, sicklecell disease, thalassemias (e.g. HbE/beta Thalassemia), diabeticretinopathies, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, and inflammation triggered bysurgery, aging, chronic and acute inflammatory condition, chemicallyinduced vascular and/or pulmonary inflammation, viral infection,bacterial infection, fungal infection, diabetic kidney disease,diabetes, cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, musculardystrophy, pain, neuroinflammatory condition, abnormal vascularhomeostasis, lupus, retinopathies including diabetic retinopathy,macular degeneration, peripheral vascular disease, long term systemicconsequences of chemo and radiation therapy, brain fog, rheumatoidarthritis, soft tissue injuries (muscle, tendons and ligaments), surgeryinduced inflammatory sequelae (urogenital dysfunction), transfusioninduced inflammation, inhibition of stent restenosis, limit inflammatoryconsequences of dialysis, post dental procedure inflammation and pain,neuropathic pain from any proinflammatory insult including peripheralneuropathy, spinal neuropathy, arthritic pain, cognitive dysfunction inchildren due to cerebral vascular damage due to sickle cell disease,cytokine storm due to corona virus, dengue fever, ebola, rift valleyfever and influenza, cerebral malaria, metastatic spread of tumors viadysfunctional blood vessels, systemic consequences of psoriasis,dementias including Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease, posttraumatic brain injury and hemorrhagic shock.

Autoimmune and immune related disorders and diseases can also be treatedor prevented with methods described herein. Exemplary autoimmunediseases and immune related disorder include systemic lupuserythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronicarthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathicinflammatory myopathy, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis,sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia,thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, ademyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system,idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barr syndrome, achronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliarydisease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primarybiliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis,inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple'sdisease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skindisease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergicdisease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, foodhypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung,eosinophilic pneumonias, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivitypneumonitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and arthritis.

Non-limiting examples of neurological diseases that can be treated orthe progression of which can be limited with methods of this patentdocument include neurodegenerative disorders include stroke, Alzheimer'sdisease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig's disease), diffuse Lewybody disease, chorea-acanthocytosis, primary lateral sclerosis, MultipleSclerosis (MS), and Friedreich's ataxia, Periventricular leukomalacia(PVL), ALS-Parkinson's-Dementia complex of Guam, Wilson's disease,cerebral palsy, progressive supranuclear palsy (Steel-Richardsonsyndrome), bulbar and pseudobulbar palsy, diabetic retinopathy,multi-infarct dementia, macular degeneration, Pick's disease, diffuseLewy body disease, prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob,Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, Kuru and fatal familialinsomnia, primary lateral sclerosis, degenerative ataxias,Machado-Joseph disease/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 andolivopontocerebellar degenerations, spinal and spinobulbar muscularatrophy (Kennedy's disease), familial spastic paraplegia,Wohlfart-Kugelberg-Welander disease, Tay-Sach's disease, multisystemdegeneration (Shy-Drager syndrome), Gilles De La Tourette's disease,familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome), Kugelberg-Welander disease,subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, Werdnig-Hoffmann disease,synucleinopathies (including multiple system atrophy), Sandhoff disease,cortical basal degeneration, spastic paraparesis, primary progressiveaphasia, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, striatonigraldegeneration, familial spastic disease, chronic epileptic conditionsassociated with neurodegeneration, Binswanger's disease, and dementia(including all underlying etiologies of dementia).

Insulin resistance disorders treatable with methods of this patentdocument include any disease or condition that is caused by orcontributed to by insulin resistance. Examples include: diabetes,obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin-resistance syndromes, syndrome X,insulin resistance, high blood pressure, hypertension, high bloodcholesterol, dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia, atheroscleroticdisease including stroke, coronary artery disease or myocardialinfarction, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and/or hyperproinsulinemia,impaired glucose tolerance, delayed insulin release, diabeticcomplications, including coronary heart disease, angina pectoris,congestive heart failure, stroke, cognitive functions in dementia,retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy, glomerulonephritis,glomerulosclerosis, nephrotic syndrome, hypertensive nephrosclerosissome types of cancer (such as endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon),complications of pregnancy, poor female reproductive health (such asmenstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation, polycysticovarian syndrome (PCOS)), lipodystrophy, cholesterol related disorders,such as gallstones, cholescystitis and cholelithiasis, gout, obstructivesleep apnea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and prevention andtreatment of bone loss, e.g. osteoporosis. Further application ofmethods of of this patent document include promoting wound healing suchas can also be used to promot wound healing and diabetes-impaired woundhealing.

In some embodiments of any method disclosed herein, there also includesa step of determining a subject as having downregulated or dysfunctionalSIRT1 in comparison with a normal standard or reference. In someembodiments, the methods disclosed herein further include, prior toadministering to the subject the transdermal formulation, diagnosing thesubject as having endothelial dysfunction or a disease or conditionassociated with endothelial dysfunction.

In some embodiments of the methods disclosed herein, there is included astep of determining the subject as having a systemic NO level or plasmanitrite and/or nitrate level lower than a normal level or a standard ofheathy references by at least 5%, at least 10%, at least 15%, at least20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, or at least60%.

In any of the methods disclosed herein, the treatment regimen can beadministered after a symptom is observed clinically or a clinicalmanifestation of a disease or condition has taken place. Alternatively,the method can be used prophylactically before the onset or observationof any clinical symptom. For instance, the methods disclosed herein arecapable of addressing pro-inflammatory insults including acuteinflammatory insults triggered by certain viral infection (e.g. SARSCoV2, Dengue fever, and influenza), obesity and glucose inducedinflammatory triggers, and inflammation triggered by exposure to toxicmetals and chemicals. The treatment can be administered when a symptomhas been identified or prior to the onset or observation of any symptom.In further examples, the transdermal formulation can be administeredprophylactically to prevent inflammatory consequences of surgeryincluding post surgical inflammation induced pain or erectiledysfunction.

The methods disclosed herein can increase NO level systemically orlocally. In some embodiments of any transdermal formulation or method ofthis patent document, the amounts of active ingredients in thetransdermal formulation (e.g. the NO booster and/or the NO precursor,the polyol, the optional fatty acid, and/or other components) areselected so that it increases a subject's systemic or local NO level orplasma nitrite and/or nitrate level by at least 5%, at least 10%, atleast 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 40%, atleast 50%, at least 60% or more in comparison with a control or the NOlevel or plasma nitrite and/or nitrate level prior to administering theformulation. In some embodiments, the desired increase or change can beachieved within about 1 hour, within about 2 hours, within about 3hours, within about 5 hours, or within about 8 hours. In someembodiments, the increase or change can be maintained for a period ofabout 1 day, about 3 days, about 5 days, about 7 days, about 10 days,about 15 days, about 30 days or more. Various methods can be used formeasuring the NO level or plasma nitrite and/or nitrate level, includingfor example the colorimetric method using the Griess reagent and thechemiluminescence method.

In some embodiments of any transdermal formulation or method of thispatent document, the amounts of the active ingredients in thetransdermal formulation (e.g. the NO booster and/or the NO precursor,the polyol, the optional fatty acid, and/or other components) areselected so that the systolic pressure and/or diastolic pressure and/ormean arterial pressure of the subject is reduced by at least 2, at least4, at least 6, at least 8, at least 10, at least 12, at least 14, about18, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40 ormore mm Hg over the above period of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ormore days in comparison with a control or the NO level or plasma nitriteand/or nitrate level prior to administering the formulation.

In some embodiments of any method disclosed herein, the subject has beendiagnosed to have hypertension or is at risk of developing hypertension.The transdermal formulation disclosed herein can be administered once,twice, three time or as needed over a period of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10 or more days. In some embodiments, the formulation in the form offor example a patch, cream, or gel is administered once every 1, 3, 5,7, or 10 days.

Another aspect of this disclosure provides a method of incorporating anagent into a cell by contacting the cell with the formulation disclosedherein. As a result of enhanced NO level, the method can stabilize thecells, improve storage properties and reverse storage lesions. In someembodiments, the cells are red blood cells. In some embodiments, theformulation is in a liquid form. In some embodiments, the formulationincludes S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule.

Treatment of cells (e.g. red blood cells) with the formulation describedherein can delivery NO booster (e.g. curcumin) and optionally otherantiiflammatory/antioxidant agents into the lipid membrane or beyondcytosol should stabilize the cells for storage, and convert thetransfused cells into long lasting (circulating) anti-inflammatoryagents that can slowly deliver these agents to endothelial linings inthe capillaries and other small diameter vessles. Similarly, treatmentof the cells with a formulation containing high concentrations of a NOprecursor such as lipophilic S-nitrosothiol and the S-NO derivative ofalkyl ester derivatives of NAC should be effective in transnitrosatingthiols in and on the cells. Nitrosation of key thiols on and in the redblood cells (including beta 93 on Hb and the thiols of the Band 3protein) has been shown to stabilize red blood cells against oxidativedamage, microparticle formation and hemolysis. Such red blood cells canthus be used as a vehicle to deliver NO to thiols on the endothelium aswell.

Another aspect provides a method of improving the the safety andefficacy of transfusion by contacting the cells or fluid to betransfused with the formulation prior to or during the transfusionprocedure. For instance, the formulation containing NO booster or NOprecursor can be administered prior to or during blood transfusion toprotect the red blood cells and enhance the therapeutic effect. In someembodiments, the method includes contacting the formulation with thecells or fluid 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, ormore than 4 hours before the transfusion takes place.

A related aspect provides a method of delivering an active agenttransdermally to a subject in need thereof. The method includesadministering to the subject a transdermal formulation disclosed herein.By delivering an effective amount of the active agent locally orsystemically, a rapid and extended therapeutic effect can be achieved.The scope of the target diseases or conditions is as described above. Insome embodiments, the transdermal formulation includes, as an activeingredient for treating the disease or condition, one or morecurcuminoids and optionally one or more of polyphenol, flavonoid,stilbenoid, secosteroid, or natural products that promote NO production.In some embodiments, the transdermal formulation includes one or both ofcurcumin and quercetin, and optionally one or more of one or more ofpolyphenol, flavonoid, stilbenoid, and secosteroid.

Method of Manufacturing

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method ofmanufacturing the formulation disclosed herein. The method generallyincludes preparing a solution of the polyol solvent and the fatty acidpermeation enhancer, followed by addition of the agent (NO booster or NOprecursor). If necessary, the solution can be heated to a suitabletemperature to dissolve fatty acid and/or the agent. In someembodiments, the active agent (e.g. NO booster or NO precursor or thenitrite source) is saturated in the solution. After cooling down thesolution, the formulation may turn into a gel and the precipitatedexcess active agent can be easily removed. Variations in condition orsequence of mixing or addition of different ingredients/components arealso feasible as long as the NO booster or NO precursor is suitablydistributed in the formulation to achieve desirable therapeutic effects.

In some exemplary embodiments, the agent dissolved in the solution isfilled into a container (e.g., a sprayer or nebulizer; a permeable orfrangible pouch as described above) or soaked into a dispensing vehicle(e.g., swab, sponge or absorbing layer of a patch). When the NOprecursor mixture contains a nitrite source, an acid source can bestored for example in a separate pouch or a separate layer of a patch.The NO precursor mixture and the acid source can also be separated by aremovable barrier disposed between two different compartments of acontainer or between two layers of a patch.

In some embodiments, the formulation is in the form of a gel orsemisolid. A gelling agent or thickener can be added to adjust the formof the formulation. The formulation is then filled into a suitablecontainer and then dispensed as gels, ointments, creams, emulsions,microemulsions, nanoemulsions, pastes, balms, or other suitable forms.The semisolid formulation can also be coated on a backing member (e.g.,a support layer of a patch).

Depending on the amount and nature of the thickener, the formulation canalso be prepared into a solid form. For example, a solution of the NObooster (e.g. curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin,quercetin, berberine) can be mixed with melted pure cocoa butter andthen cooled. The resulting solid formulation melts when rubbed withpressure on to human skin.

General procedures for mixing the reagents and handling themanufacturing process are available through the common knowledge orpharmaceutical technology handbooks well known to a person skilled inthe art, for example, Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy,20th edition, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2000, or inthe review article Souza et al, Topical ocular delivery of therapeutics:carrier systems and physical methods, J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 2013, 66,507-530.

Administration Regimen

The effective amount of the agent (NO booster or NO precursor) in theformulation or kit described herein for effectively enhancing systemicNO level will depend on the route of administration, the type ofsubject, including human, being treated, and the physicalcharacteristics of the specific subject under consideration. The dose oramount can be tailored to achieve a desired effect, but will depend onsuch factors as weight, diet, concurrent medication and other factorswhich those skilled in the medical arts will recognize. Morespecifically, an effective amount or therapeutically effective amountmeans an amount of the agent effective to increase the systemic NO to alevel to prevent, alleviate or ameliorate symptoms of disease or prolongthe survival of the subject being treated. The administration of theformulation may be adjusted to provide the optimal therapeutic responseor prolonged beneficial effects. For example, the formulation may betopically administered more than two or more than three times a day.Alternatively, the amount or administration frequency may be reduced ifnecessary. Determination of an effective amount is well within thecapability of those skilled in the art, especially in light of thedetailed disclosure provided herein.

In non-human animal studies, applications of potential products arecommenced at higher dosage levels, with dosage being decreased until thedesired effect is no longer achieved or adverse side effects disappear.The dosage may range broadly, depending upon the desired effects and thetherapeutic indication. Typically, the effective amount of the agent ordosage in the formulation may be about 10 microgram/kg to about 100mg/kg body weight, preferably about 100 microgram/kg to about 10 mg/kgbody weight. Alternatively, dosages may be based and calculated upon thesurface area of the patient, as understood by those of skill in the art.

In exemplary embodiments, the formulation is administered once a day,twice a day, three times a day, once in two days, once in three days,once in a week, one every two weeks or once a month.

The exact formulation, route of administration and dosage for thepharmaceutical compositions can be chosen by the individual physician inview of the patient's condition. (see e.g., Fingl et al. 1975, in “ThePharmacological Basis of Therapeutics”, which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety, with particular reference to Ch. 1,p. 1).

It should be noted that the attending physician would know how to andwhen to terminate, interrupt, or adjust administration due to toxicityor organ dysfunctions. Conversely, the attending physician would alsoknow to adjust treatment to higher levels if the clinical response werenot adequate (precluding toxicity). The magnitude of an administereddose in the management of the disorder of interest will vary with theseverity of the condition to be treated and to the route ofadministration. The severity of the condition may, for example, beevaluated, in part, by standard prognostic evaluation methods. Further,the dose and perhaps dose frequency will also vary according to the age,body weight, and response of the individual patient. A programcomparable to that discussed above may be used in veterinary medicine.

The formulation disclosed herein can be evaluated for efficacy andtoxicity using known methods. For example, the toxicology of theformulation may be established by determining in vitro toxicity towardsa cell line, such as a mammalian, and preferably human, cell line. Theresults of such studies are often predictive of toxicity in animals,such as mammals, or more specifically, humans. Alternatively, thetoxicity in an animal model, such as mice, rats, rabbits, or monkeys,may be determined using known methods. The efficacy of a particularcompound may be established using several recognized methods, such as invitro methods, animal models, or human clinical trials. Recognized invitro models exist for nearly every class of condition. Similarly,acceptable animal models may be used to establish efficacy of chemicalsto treat such conditions. When selecting a model to determine efficacy,the skilled artisan can be guided by the state of the art to choose anappropriate model, dose, and route of administration, and regime. Ofcourse, human clinical trials can also be used to determine the efficacyof the active agents of the transdermal f in humans.

The formulation or kit described herein may, if desired, be presented ina pack or dispenser device which may contain one or more unit dosageforms containing the formulated agent. The pack may for example comprisemetal or plastic foil, such as a blister pack. The pack or dispenserdevice may be accompanied by instructions for administration. The packor dispenser may also be accompanied with a notice associated with thecontainer in form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating themanufacture, use, or sale of pharmaceuticals, which notice is reflectiveof approval by the agency of the form of the drug for human orveterinary administration. Such notice, for example, may be the labelingapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prescriptiondrugs, or the approved product insert.

All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

EXAMPLES Example 1

Preparation of Transdermal Formulation

Vehicles for loading the active ingredient were prepared as illustratedin samples 1-4. Myristic acid (solid flakes) was dissolved in PEG400upon warming the mixture in a warm water bath. Shaking accelerated theformation of the resulting clear solution. The following fourconcentrations of myristic acid (MA) in PEG400 were prepared andevaluated. Samples 1, 2, 3 and 4 were all clear solutions when thesamples were allowed to attain ambient temperatures.

-   -   a. 30 ml of PEG400+1.5 grams of MA (Sample 1)    -   b. 30 ml of PEG400+3 grams of MA (Sample 2)    -   c. 30 ml of PEG400+0.75 grams of MA (Sample 3)    -   d. 30 ml of PEG400+2.25 grams of MA (Sample 4)

The samples as vehicles were loaded with NO enhancing agent. The samplecarrier formulations [or solvent systems] were loaded with 95% purecurcumin (Curcumin 95) as the NO boosting agent to test loadingpotential. 1.5 grams of Curcumin 95 was added to Samples 1, 2, 3. Theresulting Curcumin 95 loaded samples were warmed and shaken until whatappeared to be the maximum amount of dissolving of the curcuminoccurred, and then were allowed to cool back to ambient temperature. Allthree samples allowed for the dissolving of almost all of the addedcurcumin resulting in an intensely colored dark solution. Sample 3provided the higher solubility and remained liquid for weeks. Samples 1and 2 were initially liquid but formed a solid uniform gel over a periodof several hours. Sample 3 was prepared by dissolving 0.75 grams of MAin 30 ml's of PEG400 and heating in a water bath (˜60-80 C) for ˜15minutes. Sample 4 was prepared by dissolving 2.25 grams of MA in 30 mlsof PEG400 and heating in a water bath (˜60-80 C) for ˜15 minutes. Bothsample 3 and sample 4 were uniform solutions when the heating cycle wasfinished. Upon cooling sample 3 remained liquid whereas sample 4 formeda uniform gel.

Once loading potential was established, sample transdermal formulationscontaining curcugen as the NO enhancing agent were made. Curcugen is aproduct containing curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC) andbisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC). The three curcuminoids account for about50% by weight in curcugen. Sample formulations V3.3 and V4.3 were madeby adding curcugen to Sample 3 and sample 4 vehicles, respectively (3grams of curcugen in 30 mls of either solvent). The resulting mixtureswere heated and shaken for ˜15 minutes, after which both appeared asdark maroon uniform solutions. Upon cooling V3.3 (3 grams curcugen per30 ml Sample 3 vehicle) remained liquid; whereas V4.3 (3 grams curcugenper 30 ml Sample 4 vehicle) became a uniform gel having the same darkmaroon color (same color as V3.3 when heated).

No loss of color was observed over a period of at least three months forsamples stored at ambient temperature. In marked contrast, the samevolume of water with the same amount of added curcumin showed almost nocolor in the liquid phase and a substantial amount of undissolvedmaterial.

V4.3 was loaded into a syringe when warm and hence in the liquid state.The liquid in the syringe gelled when cooled to ambient temperatures butcould be squeezed out of the syringe as a gel that slowly melted on theskin. The applied gel was easily be covered and trapped in a water proofand leakproof transparent bandage (e.g. Mepitel transparent filmdressing). The dressing prevented loss of the applied formulation andcould remain in place for several days without loss of formulation. Whenthe Mepitel dressing was removed after several days there was no adheredformulation on the dressing and all the formulation was in the skin asreflected in an absence of staining on tissue that was aggressivelywiped over the colored skin that was below the dressing. The color wasfully lost after 7-8 days.

The addition of water to the PEG400/MA based formulation can create anonuniform emulsion that poses difficulties for topical use. Thepresence of water limits solubility of curcumin, curcugen, quercetin andberberine in PEG. As a comparison, the same amount of curcumin was mixedwith the same volume of water (i.e. 3 g. curcumin in 30 ml water). Theresulting mixture showed almost no color in the liquid phase andcontained a substantial amount of undissolved material.

The use of higher concentration MA solutions with PEG as the basesolvent allowed for easy preparation of concentrated saturated solutionswith low solubility NO enhancing actives such as curcumin, curcugen,quercetin, berberine and related molecules by simply adding an excess ofthe active agent to the heated high MA PEG/MA solvent system (e.g. V4.3)and allowing the mixture to cool. The resulting uniform gel was fullysaturated with the active agent, while the undissolved excess remainedas a solid at the bottom of the tube. The uniform saturated gel wasthereafter easily removed and separated from the undissolved material.

The Sample 3 solvent system was also tested as a vehicle for loadingpotential with the following low solubility reagents using the abovemethod: quercetin, berberine, N-acetyl cysteine amide (NACA) andN-acetyl cysteine ethyl ester (NAC-ethylester). In all cases, thesolvent system allowed for substantial dissolution of these hard tosolubilize agents. A comparison between an aqueous solution and Sample 3solution loaded with quercetin and berberine revealed minimal dissolvedmaterial in the aqueous sample and a high degree of solubilization inSample 3.

Similar results were obtained for quercetin in sample 3 and sample 4 asvehicle but the solubility of the quercetin in these solvents was lessthan for curcugen (˜200-300 mg quercetin in 30 ml of either sample 3 orsample 4). As with curcumin and curcugen, quercetin loaded sample 3 andsample 4 do not and do form a gel at ambient temperatures respectively.

The PEG400/MA solutions were combined with other delivery vehicles (e.g.petroleum jelly). Sample 3 with curcumin was mixed with petroleum jellyresulting in a uniformly colored gel that remained stable (no loss ofcolor) over a period of over two months. Sample 3 with the dissolved SNOderivative of NAC amide and of NAC was easily combined with petroleumjelly to produce a stable pink jelly. Stability is likely derived fromthe low water activity and high viscosity which inhibit the loss of NOfrom the thiol group. Different sized aliquots of Sample 3 (both withcurcumin and with curcugen) were mixed with melted pure cocoa butter andthen cooled. Optimized mixtures yielded solid uniformly yellow/orangecolored blocks/tubes of cocoa butter that remained solid at ambienttemperature. The solid material melted when rubbed with pressure ontohuman skin. Similar results were obtained with coconut oil but the lowermelting point of coconut oil made it difficult to apply to human skinwithout smearing and dripping. Combinations of the two oils were alsotested. The use of PEG400/MA with cocoa butter showed most promisingproperties as a topical delivery vehicle suitable for cosmetic anddermatological applications due to the more suitable hardness for theresulting curcumin loaded cocoa butter. Increasing the amount of addedPEG400/MA solvent to the cocoa butter eventually resulted in a gel likesubstance that remained stable color wise.

The solutions of the two lipophilic NAC derivatives were prepared usingsodium nitrite saturated PEG400, resulting in a clear solution. Thelipophilic derivatives of NAC readily dissolved under conditions whereNAC had limited solubility. NAC is water soluble and the two derivativesare marginally soluble in water. The two solutions were then treatedwith several drops of acetic acid to trigger the formation of nitrousacid from the nitrite which can then nitrosate the reactive thiol onboth of the NAC derivatives. The solutions turned pink indicative ofS-nitrosothiol formation. The solutions remained pink for several days.The corresponding aqueous solutions lost color within hours. The use ofnitrite saturated PEG400 allows for formulations that can be used togenerate NO and S-nitrosothiols through mixing with reagents thatacidify the mixture. A double frangible pouch incorporated into a patchmay be used for a sustained NO delivery vehicle suitable for topical andtransdermal applications.

Example 2

Effects on blood pressure (BP) on rats of V2.3 formulation (2 g curcugenper 30 ml Sample 3 vehicle) were examined. The formulation was topicallyapplied to the shaved abdomen of 5 sprague dawley rats. A Q tipsaturated with V2.3 was rubbed onto the shaved rat belly. In allinstances (N=5) the application of V2.3 produced a 20% drop in systemicblood pressure within 15 to 20 minutes of application. The reduced bloodpressure was maintained for the three hour observation window with noindication of recovery. Results (N=6) from a second laboratory in which6 rats were similarly tested showed a similar result (20% drop in bloodpressure). Similar results with V3.3 were consistently obtained on asingle human subject upon application of V3.3 to the forearm (˜0.05 ml).A comparable drop in BP occurred within 15 to 20 minutes of applicationand the lowered BP persisted for many hours, only gradually returning tothe higher initial values after 12 to 24 hours. Similar results on thesame human subject were obtained using V4.3. The cocoa butter doped withSample 3 (V1.3) also exhibited similar physiological consequences whenapplied to the single human test subject. The control Sample 3 withoutone or more curcuminoids or curcugen elicited no physiologicalconsequences when applied to either rat or human.

V3.3 was applied to a skin flap with an optical window on healthyhamsters. The optical window allowed for the monitoring of blood vesselsin the dermal layer below the site of administration of the V3.3. A dosedependent increase in vessel diameter at the site of the topicalapplication was observed within several minutes of application.

Effects on NO Plasma levels. Plasma levels of NO degradation products(nitrite/nitrate) were measured subsequent to topical application ofV3.3 in 4 rats. Plasma levels of NO degradation products(nitrite/nitrate) in two of the tested rats were shown to increase by15% consistent with the drop in blood pressure originating from enhancedproduction of nitric oxide due to the known ability of curcumin toupregulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and hence NOproduction. Two control animals showed no such increase under the sameconditions. The results indicate that transdermal curcuminoids canelevate systemic NO levels.

The drop in blood pressure within 15 to 20 minutes after topicalapplication of a curcumin containing sample indicates that the curcuminis being delivered transdermally and that therapeutically effectivelevels are present within that short time period. The drop in bloodpressure and increase in nitrite/nitrate plasma levels are consistentwith the known effect of curcumin with respect to upregulation of nitricoxide production in the endothelium by eNOS. The physiological responseis persistent over many hours consistent with topically deliveredcurcumin/curcugen is being delivered into the circulation in a sustainedmanner. In contrast, curcumin delivered into the circulation either viaoral route or IV has a circulation time of only 2 hours due to the liverrapidly converting curcumin to an inactive agent. Even large dosing oforal curcumin has not been observed to produce this pronounced andprolonged physiological response.

Physiological response transdermal curcuminoid formulation in animalswas also examined for V3.3 (Curcugen 9 g, myristic acid 2.25 g, PEG 40090 ml) and V4.3 (Curcugen 9 g, myristic acid 6.75 g, PEG 400 90 ml).

Blood pressure was measure in rodents subsequent to topical applicationof transdermal curcuminoid formulation. Both rats and mice show up to a20% reduction in BP with V3.3 being more effective than V4.3 both interms of time of onset and extent of BP drop.

It was also observed that topical application of either V3.3 or V4.3resulted in increased levels of plasma nitrite and nitrate of the threehour monitoring window subsequent to a single topical dose. Over thesame time period the BP underwent a sustained decrease (over the threehour window). A sustained build up in the detectable concentration ofplasma curcuminoids was observed over a three hour window subsequent totopical application of V3.3 in rats (N=3). Oral curcumin plasma levelspeak in an hour and drop to near undetectable levels within three hours.

Example 3

Control on systemic inflammation via transdermal delivery of NO boosteror NO precursor.

Inhibition on development of severe vascular leakage in an acuteinflammation rat model was examined with topically applied Vascartaformulation V3.3. The study used the following lipopolysaccharide (LPS)induced cytokine storm protocol:

-   -   a. LPS (10 mg/kg) was IP infused every 24 hours to initiate and        sustain an acute inflammatory response.    -   b. The LPS treated rats were subjected to topical application        (0.1 ml) of Vascarta formulation V3.3 starting at the time of        the first LPS treatment and repeated every 24 hours for three        days    -   c. Physiological parameters derived from drawn blood were        measured every 24 hours    -   d. After three days the animals were anesthetized and surgically        opened to allow for the intravital fluorescence imaging of the        macro and micro vasculature.        -   i. Formulations of fluorescent labeled albumin and dextran            (500 kDa) were IV infused and fluorescence derived images of            the vasculature and surrounding tissue were used to            determine the rate of extravasation out of the vasculature            and into the surrounding tissues for both albumin and            dextran.

Topical application of the vehicle (PEG400/MA) on the LPS treated ratsrevealed a pattern of rapid and extreme leakage for both albumin and themuch larger dextran consistent with what was observed under conditionsof severe acute inflammation. However, topical daily application of V3.3dramatically reduced the amount of leakage for albumin as shown in FIG.1 . The observed low level of leakage is approximately the same as whatwas observed for a control animal. Similar results were observed fordextran as shown in FIG. 2 . Extensive vascular leakage is a potentiallylethal consequence of the cytokine storm independent of cause (COVID-19,Ebola, Dengue fever, hemorrhagic shock, endotoxic shock, Rift valleyfever etc). The transdermal formulation provided a dramatic positiveintervention outcome with far reaching clinical implications.

Example 4

This study evaluated potential therapeutic efficacy of a transdermallydelivered transdermal formulation according to the invention (V4.3:curcugen 9 g, myristic acid 6.75 g, PEG 400 90 ml) in an acute vascularinflammation mouse model. Three cohorts each with three subjects werestudied and compared. In Cohort 1, the subjects were infused with LPSbut without no topical treatments (untreated). In Cohort 2, the subjectswere infused with LPS topical treatment (0.1 ml of V4.3). In Cohort 3,LPS infusion was followed by topical treatment (0.1 ml of V4.3) fourhours after LPS infusion. Endotoxemia was induced by infusion of 10mg/kg of LPS (Lipopolysaccharides from E. coli serotype 0128:B12, SigmaAldrich St. Louis, MO). The procedures were the same as those describedin earlier published studies (Williams A T, Muller C R, Govender K,Navati M S, Friedman A J, Friedman J M, Cabrales P. Control of systemicinflammation through early nitric oxide supplementation with nitricoxide releasing nanoparticles. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020; 161:15-22.Epub 2020/10/05. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.09.025. PubMed PMID:33011274; PMCID: PMC7529593 and references therein).

It was observed that topically applied V4.3 (curcuminoids dissolved in aPEG400/myristic acid mix) acted both as a prophylactic andinterventional treatment for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced cytokinestorm. The results include the vascular consequences and cytokineprofile as a function of time for three different groups of LPS treatedmice: i) no topical treatment with V4.3; ii) pretreatment with topicalV4.3 prior to the LPS treatment and iii) topical treatment with V4.3after the onset of the LPS initiated cytokine storm. In terms of theresponse of the microvasculature to LPS treatment in the three groups,treatment with topical V4.3 both limited arterial dilation, which isindicative of shock induced vascular collapse, and maintained arterialblood flow. It was also observed that topical V4.3 prevented the steepdrop in functional capillary density (FCD) that occurs with LPS inducedendotoxemia. As shown in FIG. 3 , V4.3 was effective both as aprophylactic and as an interventional treatment in preventive steepdecline in FCD relative to baseline (BL). FCD correlates with survivalin that it reflects the ability to maintain tissue perfusion and deliveroxygen to tissues. Further, it was discovered that both pre-treatmentand interventional treatment with topically applied V4.3 limited theproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results confirmed theefficacy of the transdermal formulation in limiting the inflammatoryconsequences when administered topically as a prophylactic or as anactive therapeutic subsequent to onset of the inflammation.

Example 5

This study evaluated prevention of LPS induced vascular leakage viatopically administered curcuminoids using a transdermal formulationaccording to the present invention in an LPS endotoxemia rat model. LPS(E coli 026:B6) was inoculated to rat model (10 mg/kg/day). Atransdermal curcumin formulation (V3.3: curcugen 9 g, myristic acid 2.25g, PEG 400 90 ml) or vehicle control was applied daily for three days(0.1 ml/dose). On day 3, the animals were surgically prepared forintravital and fluorescence microscopy. It was observed that treatmentwith the transdermal curcumin formulation prevented the LPS inducedearly phase leakage (first 4 hours). Vascular leakage is dramaticallyreduced subsequent to topical application of V3.3 in an LPS inducedinflammation mode. Meanwhile, topical application of V4.3 (curcugen 9 g,myristic Acid 6.75 g, PEG 400 90 ml) both prior to and subsequent to LPSinduced inflammation in mice (N=3) reduced the LPS induced increase inpro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

This experiment, combined with results from the earlier studies,indicates that topical transdermal curcumin formulation of this patentdocument can limit inflammation induced vascular leakage which is acharacteristic of the cytokine storm and other inflammation inducingconditions.

Example 6

Skin permeation of transdermal formulations of the present invention wasstudied. Skin permeation of the following transdermal formulationsaccording to the present invention were studied using confocalmicroscopy. The formulations differed only in the amount of myristicacid:

-   -   a. Lot 43: V4.3 Curcugen 9 g, Myristic Acid 6.75 g, PEG 400 90        ml    -   b. Lot 39: V3.3 Curcugen 9 g, Myristic Acid 2.25 g, PEG 400 90        ml    -   c. Lot 38: V0.3 Curcugen 9 g, PEG 400 90 ml

The formulations solidified as temperatures approached zero centigrade.The viscosity was visibly reduced in all samples as the temperature wasraised above ambient. Viscosity of the formulations and theiringredients are as follows:

-   -   Water 0.9 cP; PEG400 (100%) 99 cP; PEG400/water 90%, 80 cP;        V3.3: 149.8 cP; PEG400+myristic acid, V3.3: 149.8 cP;        PEG400+myristic acid, V4.3: 4220 cP.

Curcuminoids have a broad absorbance spectrum with a maximum absorbanceat 425 nm. All human skin sample integrity was measured using TEWL dataand all samples used had good integrity of the skin barrier. A DAPIfilter was used to visualize the curcuminoid penetration. All imageswere taken at the same settings.

All three formulations showed penetration of the curcuminoids into theskin. At the earliest time point of one hour penetration of thecurcuminoids into the stratum corneum with all three formulations wasobserved.

In the formulation of lot 38, in both donors, broadening of fluorescentband occurred from 3 to 6 hours. Broadening of band was not seen in theformulation of lot 39 and 43 until the 24th hour. The broadeningsuggests the permeation of the curcuminoids into the upper epidermallayers just below the stratum corneum. In the formulation of lot 39, inboth donors, the amount of curcuminoids between 3 to 6 hours decreasedin both donors. However, a decrease in the intensity for curcuminoids inthe formulation of lot 38 and 43 was observed after 6 hours. In theformulation of lot 38, fluorescent spots were seen below the stratumcorneum at the early time points. However, no fluorescent spots wereseen above the stratum corneum with the formulation of lot 39 and 43.Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) values are comparable for allformulations and all time points suggesting that all human skin samplebarrier integrity was the same.

The decrease in fluorescence over time in the three formulations is anindication of penetration of the curcuminoids into deeper layers of theskin. (Low amounts of penetration of the actives may have not bevisualized and/or quantified due to the high autofluorescence of theuntreated skin). Based on this, the formulation of lot 39 shows earliestpenetration of the curcuminoids into the skin. The depth of fluorescencewas also determined. This was measured at values between 5 microns to 25microns. The formulation of lot 38 showed the fastest broadening of thefluorescent band suggesting faster skin penetration of the curcuminoids.

Example 7

The effect of the transdermal formulation of this patent on limiting orpreventing the onset of cardiovascular inducing inflammation in adiabetic rat model was examined in ZDSD diabetic rat model. The 3 ratswere on a normal diet for 60 days without symptoms of diabetes. Startingon ˜day 65 the rats were started on a high fat diet that resulted in aslow increase in blood glucose. The animals were treated topically withformulation V4.3 every two days for the entire test period out to 80days. Cytokine profile showed the onset of inflammation at ˜day 75. Thetreatment with with formulation V4.3 limited the increase inpro-inflammatory cytokines seen in the shams at day 75. In particular,the profile for IL-18 showed clear evidence of the formulation inpreventing the increase in IL-18 which is a marker for propensity ofdeveloping cardiovascular consequences in diabetics.

Example 7

The effect of treatment of mice with severe advanced endothelialdysfunction was examined with Formulation V4.3. A total of 24 maleC57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were used in the study. Mice were housed inan animal facility under a 12/12-h day/night cycle and access to foodand water ad libitum. The study was carried out over a period of 4weeks. Week 1 was used for adaptation as the animals were divided intoexperimental groups. Two groups received L-NAME (50 mg/kg) in theirdrinking water for two weeks (week 2 and 3) to chronically induce nitricoxide synthase (NOS) inhibition. One L-NAME treated group receivedtopical formulation V4.3 at a dosing of 0.1 ml daily for the last 10days before characterization. The L-NAME untreated group was used asSham group.

Topical treatment was initiated after the onset of the condition. Theresults showed direct evidence of the treatment, which restores elementsof normal endothelial function (decreased oxidative stress in plasma andRBCs, decreased leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium indicative ofrecovery of the glycocalyx, and improved functional capillary density).In comparison with the Sham group, the group treated with thetransdermal formulation exhibited a lower level of TNF-α, TGFβ, MCP-1,IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-10. Better results from the treatedgroup were also observed in terms of microhemodynamic changes, celladhesion, vascular response of isolated aortic vessels, changes inerythrocyte and plasma antioxidants, hypoxia, reoxygenation, andsystemic hemodynamic changes.

TABLE 1 Changes in body weight, relative tissue weights and water intakeat the end of the study. Kidney relative Heart relative Daily Water BW,g to BW to BW intake, mL Control 25 ± 4 1.44 ± 0.07 1.16 ± 0.08 4.3 ±0.6 Curcumin 24 ± 3 1.32 ± 0.08 1.08 ± 0.07 4.7 ± 0.8 Sham 26 ± 4 0.82 ±0.04 0.87 ± 0.06 3.9 ± 0.4

TABLE 2 Changes in Erythrocyte and plasma antioxidants at the end of thestudy Erytrocyte Erytrocyte Erytrocyte SOD, Catalase, GSH, unit/g_(Hb)unit/g_(Hb) μmole/g_(Hb) Plasma GSH, μM Control 3.4 ± 0.2 23.1 ± 3.0 4.2± 0.6 2.1 ± 0.4 Curcumin 4.0 ± 0.4 28.3 ± 2.7 5.1 ± 0.6 2.7 ± 0.6 Sham5.1 ± 0.5 36.9 ± 2.4 6.0 ± 0.7 3.4 ± 0.5

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the inventionsdescribed herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown anddescribed. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the claimswhich follow. It should further be understood that the above descriptionis only representative of illustrative examples of embodiments. Thedescription has not attempted to exhaustively enumerate all possiblevariations. The alternate embodiments may not have been presented for aspecific component of a composition, or a step of the method, and mayresult from a different combination of described constituents, or thatother undescribed PEG alternate embodiments may be available for aformulation, kit or method, is not to be considered a disclaimer ofthose alternate embodiments. It will be appreciated that many of thoseundescribed embodiments are within the literal scope of the followingclaims, and others are equivalent.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of treating a disease or conditionin a subject, comprising administering to the subject a transdermalformulation, wherein the transdermal formulation comprises: (a) aneffective amount of an NO booster and optionally an NO precursor,wherein the NO booster comprises one or more agents selected from thegroup consisting of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin,quercetin, berberine, resveratrol and vitamin D, and wherein the NOprecursor comprises a S-nitrosothiol-containing molecule or athiol-containing molecule and a nitrite source; (b) a polyol, whereinthe NO booster is dissolved in the polyol; and optionally (c) a fattyacid, wherein the amounts of the polyol and the fatty acid are selectedso that upon administration the effective amount of the NO booster isdelivered transdermally; wherein the disease or condition is selectedfrom the group consisting of renal failure; hypertension, stroke andmicroemboli, open wound, sexual dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, sicklecell disease, and pain.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyol ispolyethylene glycol (PEG).
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein PEG has amolecular weight ranging from about 200 to about 600 daltons.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, wherein PEG has a molecular weight ranging from about200 to about 400 daltons.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the PEG andthe NO booster are in a ratio ranging from about 8:1 to about 12:1. 6.The method of claim 2, wherein the fatty acid is present and is myristicacid, wherein the PEG and the myristic acid are in a ratio ranging fromabout 10:1 to about 50:1 by weight.
 7. The method of claim 2, whereinthe PEG and the NO booster are in a ratio ranging from about 8:1 toabout 12:1, wherein the fatty acid is present and is myristic acid,wherein the PEG and the myristic acid are in a ratio ranging from about10:1 to about 50:1 by weight.
 8. The method of claim 2, wherein thefatty acid is present and is myristic acid, wherein the PEG and themyristic acid are in a ratio ranging from about 10:1 to about 50:1 byweight.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the NO booster comprisescurcumin.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyol is selected fromthe group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol,ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerol.
 11. The method of claim1, wherein the disease or condition is the pain selected from the groupconsisting of neuropathic pain, surgery related pain, trauma,periodontal or dental procedure related pain, orthopedic pain andarthritic pain.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease orcondition is neuropathic pain.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein thedisease or condition is postoperative pain.
 14. The method of claim 1,wherein the formulation is incorporated into a sponge or a patch. 15.The method of claim 1, wherein the formulation is administered via asprayer or a nebulizer.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein theformulation is administered to the subject prior to a surgicalprocedure.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the formulation isadministered prophylactically.
 18. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising administering to the subject an agent selected from the groupconsisting of gabapentinoid, tricyclic antidepressant,serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, lidocaine, capsaicin,tramadol, morphine, oxycodone, and botulinum toxin-A.
 19. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the transdermal formulation contains water in an amountof less than 5% by weight.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein thetransdermal formulation is substantially free from water.